Spy and Wizard, Neither Life is Easy
by Scififan33
Summary: Rewrite of Spying is never Easy. 2 years post Battle and Harry wants out. He gets an offer he can't refuse but it leads to things he never would have imagined.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter or Marvel._

 _This is a re-write of Spying is Never Easy._

 _thanks to_ fooplaya for editing

 **Chapter 1**

His Majesty George the Sixth, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India was not a dumb man. The War may be over but that did not mean the threat was. Cut off one head and two would take its place, after all. Schmidt had been the face of Hydra but that did not mean it had died with him. The Strategic Scientific Reserve had been a joint project among the Allies, mainly Britain and the USA, once they joined the war. The Reserve had been disbanded as an international agency once the war ended, after Britain's own Agent Peggy Carter and the Howling Commandos had taken the last base in Austria. Without Erskine's work or Captain America there was no reason to keep it running, especially with Hydra seemingly defeated. He had been saddened to hear of the good Captain's death, he had met the man once during his time in England and been struck by how… sincere he was.

But Hydra had not been the only enemy during the war. Gellert Grindelwald and his army of fanatics had wreaked havoc across Europe and although it had not been proved the ICW strongly suspected a link between the Dark Wizard and the Nazis, perhaps even Hydra. Then there was Albus Dumbledore, the Wizarding Worlds hero and Transfiguration Professor at Hogwarts. He was the new darling of their world and it did worry him some. The man had 'defeated' Grindelwald… and there ended any mention of the man, but defeated did not necessarily mean killed.

What part of the SSR that continued on was purely American, even Carter now lived over there. America was their ally but he knew the country would always put its own needs first. Britain needed its own first line of defence. They had stupidly left a lot of equipment, even files and personal behind in Britain and so he gathered them all up to create a new intelligence agency, MI7. He then set them to finding 'Muggleborn' who had left the Wizarding World, disenchanted by the rampant bigotry, giving them normal schooling and training to join the Agency. An oath was created, sworn by all members, to serve the people, to protect them from all threats foreign and domestic. They were loyal to the Crown, as long as the reigning Monarch remained a good ruler.

Once that was all done, he left the Agency to do its job. When his daughter came to the throne in 1952, the SSR had been replaced by SHIELD in the US, an agency MI7 did not trust due to their use of former Hydra scientists. When Voldemort began his rise, the Agency worked quietly to get the innocent out, finding many recruits among them. They secretly fought and killed many Death Eaters without the Ministry noticing. Even they were shocked when he became obsessed with a partially heard prophecy and began targeting two prominent families. Unfortunately, they were not in time to save either family and Neville Longbottom was raised safely behind the ancient wards of Longbottom Manor while little Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, vanished from even their ability to track.

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Harry was sitting on a bench watching the Thames flow past and enjoying his lunch when an older woman walked up and sat beside him. Instincts left from the war and honed by two years as an Auror told him there were three others around and he slouched further on the bench, his wand slipping into his hand.

"No need for that Mr Potter, they are simply ensuring we can talk privately."

"And you are?" He turned to face her and was reminded, in some ways, of his old Transfiguration professor. They had the same stern look though this woman was definitely not a witch and had more grey hair.

"I am Director Smith of MI7," she answered calmly even as Harry blinked in surprise. He knew certain departments in the government knew of them and even of the events of the war but he'd never heard of her division before.

"I've never heard of it."

"Very few have. But our function is very simple, keep an eye on the magical world and the various powered people, for lack of a better term at this time."

"You mean like that Hulk there are rumours of?"

"Exactly."

"So why talk to me?"

"Simple, we want to recruit you," she smiled at his surprise.

Harry nearly choked on the sip of tea he'd taken even as his eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

"It has come to our attention that you aren't happy with your current position. We want to offer you an alternative where you will still be helping people, just for Queen and Country rather than only the magical subjects."

"How many magicals do you already have?" He asked as a few puzzle pieces slotted together in his mind. While things had gotten better for muggleborns since the war, he knew many had left the magical world before, during, and even after said war. His question made her smile again.

"Quite a few," she admitted, "we can offer you a competitive salary, all travel expenses paid, the chance to complete your normal education, perhaps even get a degree, access to world magic's and of course, the chance to make a real difference in the world."

Harry had to admit it sounded tempting and almost anything was a better offer than what he currently had. Shaklebolt had overhauled the entire department once he was made Minister but there were still several older, senior Aurors left who did not appreciate a bunch of kids being admitted without ever finishing their schooling or going through full training. Despite, or maybe because, the Minister liked him they enjoyed giving him the bad assignments and generally trying to make his life miserable. They seemed to think he owed them something, despite several of them going into hiding during the war, instead of using their skills to help. And he refused to go to Shak over it, knowing it would just make them worse. He'd been considering resigning for a while now and trying something else, maybe Quidditch but if this was genuine then it was much better. She then produced a folder and handed it over.

"Think it over. If you decided against it then sign the top sheet and everything inside with self-destruct. If you decide to join us sign the other paperwork, once you do the address for the department will appear and we will know to expect you within two days. Good afternoon Mr Potter." She left with her escort and he finished his lunch before concealing the folder and heading back to work.

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Harry watched Ginny leave with a sense of relief, which then made him feel guilty. But it wasn't really his fault. He had after all broken up with her the end of his sixth year. She was the one who had then waited for him. He'd come back from the war but he wasn't the same person anymore, he'd spent a year on the run and then died! That changed a person. But she'd spent the last two years pushing for them to get back together and he had finally lost his temper with her over it. It hadn't helped that Molly wasn't exactly subtle with her hints about the topic either. Even Hermione had been commenting on the state of their relationship lately. Apparently, since she and Ron had been married for just over a year and were expecting their first child, it was time for him to settle down as well. But wasn't that up to him? He went into the study and found the folder sitting there before sighing and opening it, maybe he did need to get out into the world for a while. He put the top sheet aside and went to work reading the rest before picking up a quill, this was his last chance to back out. In the end, he signed and watched as the papers vanished to be replaced with a business card showing only an address. No turning back now. For the first time since he'd died he felt the swell of excitement, he was facing the unknown again, although this time alone. He'd spent most of his life alone, before Hogwarts and the 'Golden Trio', and he'd been a rather different person back then, untrusting and independent. Perhaps some of those skills were needed again. He pulled out a piece of blank parchment and penned his resignation letter before sending it off to Kingsley.

The next morning Harry approached the given address and entered a nondescript office building in the heat of London. He was taken straight to Smith's office where more paperwork awaited and then a magical oath had to be taken, which explained how the agency had remained so well hidden. The more complete paperwork had him a little concerned, some of their policies were not ones he could agree with but he could initiate his own contingences, he'd done it before. He was then shown to a dorm room as he would remain within the agency until his training was completed.

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Hermione removed the letter from the owl and gave the bird a treat and some water before it flew off. She sat at her desk, one hand going to her slightly rounded stomach briefly. Another three months and they would be parents, it was as scary as it was exciting. Ron still worried her a little, he was still more a boy than man a lot of the time, but he was trying. She hadn't wanted children this quickly, she'd been using contraceptives, since she was half way through a transfiguration apprenticeship under McGonagall. Thankfully the older woman had kept her on, in the past Professors had sometimes had families and the appropriate quarters were available. Minerva was not a young woman anymore, teaching and being Headmistress was exhausting. Thankfully replacing her as head of Gryffindor had been easy enough and Hermione was already taking most of the class marking off her. Next year she would begin teaching the lower years while writing her own paper on Transfiguration for publication. Hermione shook off her thoughts and opened the letter, instantly recognising the handwriting. What did he have to say for himself after the horrible way he had treated Ginny?

 _Dear Hermione,_

 _By the time you read this I will be long gone. Don't bother looking for me, you won't find me. Grimmauld Place is locked up tight and I haven't banked with the goblins since the end of the war. I already sent my resignation in to Kingsley._

 _I know you're wondering why and that hurts, because once you would have known immediately. You are the sister I never had, once I had hoped for more but you made your choice clear and I respected that. So why haven't you shown me the same respect? I love you Hermione and I love the Weasley's but I do not love Ginny the way you all want me to. I don't think I ever did. You petition so strongly for everyone else's rights and then try to trample over my right to choose._

 _So, I have chosen to leave the Wizarding World. I am done being their whipping boy one day and poster boy the next. I want to live my life and make my own choices like everyone else has. Maybe I'll finish my education, find a girl and settle down, maybe I'll spend my life travelling and seeing all the places I've heard of. I don't know yet and that is the whole point._

 _I am sorry I did not say goodbye in person but I am sick and tired of having the family rant, rave and try to dictate my life and I know that is what a goodbye would have turned into. I wish you all the best._

 _Best wishes,_

 _Harry Potter_

Hermione let the letter fall to her desk as she stared out the window. Had they really treated him like that?

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Harry collapsed behind his desk, exhausted. He'd thought he was fit before; he'd had no idea what true fitness was but the agency was ensuring he knew what it meant now. He pulled the book towards him and began reading, forcing himself to concentrate. Just three more months and training would be done. Thankfully he got to skip some as he had lived in the non-magical world for a good portion of his life, he'd actually needed more classes on wizarding society than non-magical society. That wasn't counting what he needed to finish both types of education though. He started on his NEWTS in six days, his A-levels would have to wait a while longer. But despite the pain, he knew it was worth it.

The most interesting class had been computers. The class had left him feeling like an idiot, not just because he didn't know how to use one but because he had believed the claim that electronics didn't work around magic. As the teacher had pointed out, if that was true then how could the Ministry, Diagon Alley and St Mungo's be based in the city? So, Harry had dived into the world of computers, the internet, hacking… he loved it! And then they had shown him how to mix magic and technology and he had been in Heaven. Technomancy was apparently his calling, even more so than Defence. His finals for that were coming up and for them he had begun creating a program to get past any security to get the data needed and then sort it all into a usable database, all without ever having to get close to the target system. It was fun and he just knew if he kept building on it the right way he could end up with a basic AI.

No one cared about his scar or titles here, he was just another recruit and it was great. Since training was tailored to the recruits' needs he basically only saw his trainers. He had a dorm room to himself since there weren't a lot of recruits at the moment but that just made it lonelier.

So far everything with the Agency appeared to be as advertised but after a life of betrayal, he would not trust so quickly or easily. He had a backup, he'd had one since the day he'd left Hogwarts, something no one else knew about. He'd found one of Tom's old places, deep in the Scottish Highlands, and had claimed it as his own. It had been obvious that Tom had long ago abandoned it so he had strengthened the wards and set a Parseltongue password to ensure security. Inside he had put various healing potions, clothing, money (he'd emptied the Potter accounts from Gringotts as soon as the war ended since he didn't want any trouble over the dragon thing), fake ID's and memory vials. After the fiasco with Lockhart and then all the experience with Pensieves he thought it best to be prepared for anything, the Ministry was too quick to wipe memories for his liking. Now it was his backup with the Agency as well, he'd read all the fine print in the employment contract after all, including the policy for highly sensitive missions.

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Harry aimed carefully down the range, waiting for the right moment before gently squeezing the trigger. Just like with the last five shots this one hit dead centre.

Behind magically reinforced glass those watching the test exchanged looks even as the training officer grinned, he had cleaned up in the pool. Youngest Seeker in a Century, quite a few had failed to equate that to the ability to hit a target. Potter had the skills to be the best sniper out there, one to challenge Shield's best and win nine times out of ten, pity he didn't want to be a sniper. Not that anyone could blame him, he'd seen enough death during the war to not to want to always have missions involving killing.

If only he was this good at hand to hand… though he was steadily improving there, he had the speed and stamina, his strength was the main issue. Weight training was fixing that, though not too much, they didn't want him muscle-bound. He was being taught every dirty trick in the book, especially ones that took advantage of his small build. Thanks to the medical department he'd put on height, he was no longer the scrawny nineteen-year-old that they had been presented with to train. He was now a healthy, very fit, nearly twenty-one-year-old. The next set of trainers would push him beyond his current limits, the SAS were the best for a reason after all.

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He'd run through several training missions since 'graduating' but now was the real test, a real mission. It was something short and sweet, just an intelligence hand-off but still, there were dangers. He took the seat he'd been told to and opened the book he'd grabbed, settling in to read, waiting for the contact. People ignored him, he looked like any other student studying for exams. He didn't tense, flinch, or look up as someone brushed by and he felt a slight weight drop into his pocket. He stayed another hour before packing up and leaving, the USB stick safely in his laptop case. He got on the train and headed back across the channel to England but he didn't relax until he was back at HQ and the USB had been handed over. After he'd showered and debriefed he went to his hideout and found a memory vial glowing so he opened it and took back the stored memories before making a new copy and setting it into storage. So that was what being obliviated was like, at least they had only taken the mission like they said they did.

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Harry stepped into Mrs Smith's office and stood in front of her desk, waiting for her to speak.

"Take a seat, Mr Potter," she ordered without looking up so he took the single seat before her desk. She finished something on her computer and then looked up. "Do you know what SHIELD is?"

"It's the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. They answer to the World Security Council. Created from the SSR after World War II. The current director is Fury. They're based in America for the most part," Harry answered from memory and she nodded.

"While they have some agents who are from Britain, our government has no real ties to them. Any SSR agents remaining in Britain post-war either retired or were folded into this agency to begin it. Frankly, we don't trust SHIELD, there are too many unanswered questions on where exactly they get funding, their authority, you get the idea. They don't seem to be aware of your people but we don't know for sure. They treat other intelligence organisations like annoying little siblings and frankly we've had enough."

Harry blinked and then his eyes widened slightly. "You want a spy."

"Correct. Congratulations on being picked."

"Thanks, but why? Shouldn't someone with more experience go?"

"Maybe, but there's no guarantee they wouldn't have files on them. You're new enough to still be invisible. We'll even remove your file from the system, only a hard copy will remain somewhere safe. And your own, new skills, should help with that and your mission." She chuckled and he nodded, fighting down an embarrassed blush as he remembered accidentally frying half the computers in the building when he'd first started tinkering.

"My orders?"

"Gather intelligence on the organisation and the people in it. Technology would be nice as well. You will send everything to this office only." She handed him several files and he took them. "Everything you will need has been arranged. Your flight leaves in three days. Good luck Mr Potter."

"Thank you, Ma'am," he began leaving her office.

"One last thing," she called and he turned to look at her, "don't get caught," she ordered and he nodded before heading home to read up and prepare. Well, he'd always wanted to visit the States, just not quite like this.

 _TBC…_


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: Not mine._

 _Glad people are liking this version of the story._

 **Chapter 2**

Harry slipped his headphones on and then looked out the window at the clouds passing by. The belongings he could or wanted to bring had already been shipped to his new apartment in DC to save him the bother of luggage on the flight. Everything was done by non-magical methods to create a paper trail in case anyone looked and didn't know about magic. The agency had even created a record for him at a London high school, one that had ex-agency members on staff and current agents' children in attendance. Several alumni would swear he had been in their class if ever asked and the photos proved it. His computer degree was simple as it had been taken online while serving in the military. His military record had been faked although he had done training with the SAS unit he had supposedly served with and as the best of the best, they knew better than to talk.

He sat back in his seat and closed his eyes wondering what his parents and the other Marauders would think of him being a spy now. But he wasn't doing this for the reasons Peter had turned spy, he was doing this for Queen and Country, he wasn't selling out friends. Hopefully, he'd be in and out in a month or two with everything Smith wanted and then he could take on normal assignments. He turned his laptop on and went back to reading the background he'd been given. Ex-SAS, orphaned, not like they could change that fact. Mostly it was his life without magic, just the military and university instead of the Aurors and MI7, making it easier to stick to. Occlumency made memorising it easy and once he was sure he had he simply erased the file from the laptop, removing all evidence it had ever existed quite easily. He'd come a long way from his first fumbling days with Technomancy. It was a new area of magic, one with few interested learners and most of those were either American or Asian, which made sense as they tended to be the leaders in technology. British and European magicals still lived in the Middle Ages when it came to such things. He'd found the idea fascinating and thrown himself into the new area of magical research. The basic program he had begun with his studies had continued to grow and he knew it was on the cusp of breaking through to being an actual AI. He knew the rumours that Tony Stark had one and would love the chance to study it or even talk with it in order to help his own but he doubted he'd get the chance.

He hadn't been this nervous since he'd walked into the Forbidden Forest eight years ago. At least he wasn't heading to certain death this time. He'd never been the best actor and yet now everything would depend on him selling the story he'd been given. He had to find some way to come to SHIELDs attention and be offered a place with them. He had no clue how to do it. Hopefully the Potter luck would kick in.

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Harry looked around his apartment and smiled, it was perfect. He moved to the balcony and looked out over Washington DC. Thankfully, he was still able to use his inheritance so he wasn't squished into a shoebox apartment, he was independently wealthy due to old family money and he liked it that way. He'd never really had his own place before, training with MI7 had meant living in dorms and even barracks, before that had been the Dursley's and Hogwarts and then Grimmauld but that place had always been Sirius', not his. But this apartment and contents were all his. He'd been in the US almost a week now and was finally ready to begin job hunting. He knew it could take a while before either SHIELD noticed him or he managed to find how they 'advertised' for employees but that was alright, this mission had no time limit.

He grabbed his jacket and headed downstairs to his bike, well Sirius' old bike. It had gotten him to the Dursley's and then away from that place for the last time and it had felt good learning to care for it and then ride it. Just like a broom but with wheels. He'd added to it though, updating Sirius' spell work as well as adding some of his own, making to make it pretty much indestructible. On one side a wolf and grim chased a stag over some Lilies, on the other was the word Marauder. He slipped his black leather jacket on and then put his helmet on before starting the bike and moving into the DC traffic. He pulled into the parking lot and paid for parking before heading inside, smiling as the sounds of animals washed over him. He wandered the National Zoo for hours before finally heading over to the reptiles, morbid curiosity driving him. He literally hadn't seen a snake since he'd died, would he be greeted by the sounds of words or the hisses everyone else heard? He took a deep breath and stepped into the reptile house and the voices hit him. He could hear the snakes chatting away, most sounding bored. He wasn't a Horcrux anymore so how? Maybe he was like the Sword, absorbing things that were useful, like the ability to speak Parseltongue. He wandered amongst them for a while, practising keeping a passive expression even as the snakes made rather interesting comments about the visitors. Maybe he should get a pet snake one day, if he got a venomous one it could even double as extra security.

Eventually, he left the zoo and headed to the shopping mall to wander around for a while before heading home.

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Two weeks later found him wandering through the Captain America exhibit curiously. He'd been spending his time exploring the Capital of America and its near surrounds as well as half-heartedly job hunting. He remembered his teacher, he must have been eight, or seven, maybe? Anyway, his teacher that year had loved history and had told the class of Captain Rogers and the Howling Commandos. Apparently, her Dad had met the Captain while the soldier was in London during the war and she'd had a photo to prove it. Having been through war himself he doubted half the stories about the men were true but they were great for patriotism.

He stopped in front of the section dedicated to the one Commando to give his life in the line of duty. If he wasn't American he could almost be a Potter with those looks, although his hair was far tamer than anything he could ever manage. He read the signs and watched the footage before moving on. The way he had died had to have been terrifying and horrendous, he hoped the poor man had hit his head quickly and been unconscious or dead long before he had hit the bottom.

He looked from the mannequins of the commandos in uniform and froze as a man caught his eye. He stared in shock as the man turned his head so their eyes met. Merlin…it couldn't be, could it? The man's blue eyes widened and then he put a finger to his lips, eyes pleading and Harry nodded slightly, he wouldn't make a sound. Surely something like this would have been all over the news?

Steve was surprised to find a young man staring at him and he was suddenly nervous. The world didn't know he was alive, SHIELD was keeping it quiet for now. It had been stupid to come here but he'd wanted to see something familiar. The way he stood, Steve knew the other man was also military so he motioned for silence and was relieved when the other male nodded slightly. Steve moved off through the crowd and wasn't surprised when the shorter man joined him outside. "Thanks."

"You're really him," Harry stated and Steve nodded. "How?"

Steve took a deep breath. "I was frozen in the ice."

"That sucks," Harry muttered, wincing in sympathy. He couldn't imagine it, had he been conscious the whole time or had he been lucky enough to be unconscious? "I won't tell Sir."

"Soldier?" Steve asked for confirmation.

"I was. Lieutenant Harry Potter, SAS."

"Impressive." And it was considering he looked to be in his early twenties, the SAS were the best, or they had been when he'd gone under. He straightened and saluted and it was returned. "So, you're out?"

"Compassionate Discharge."

"Oh, sorry." Steve offered but Harry shrugged it off.

"It's an honour to meet you, Captain. Though, if you plan to come back you might want a better disguise than just a hat," he offered his hand and Steve shook and then watched as Harry went to a very nice-looking bike and left.

Harry grinned under his helmet. He'd met Captain America and come to SHIELD's attention all in one day! The Agents tailing the Captain were good but not against magical detection. It made sense that if anyone found the man in the ice it would be SHIELD. He kept from dancing in glee until he was home and safely behind wards. He had never dreamed he would meet the man himself, he had believed him dead like the rest of the world, but wow. He was even more amazing than he had imagined.

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Fury looked at the file on the desk. Anyone the Captain interacted with was checked, even those he randomly met on the street. This time he may have to thank the man for sneaking out to the museum. Lieutenant Harry James Potter, born in Wales, an orphan raised in Surrey by extended family and educated in Scotland before joining the British Army and eventually the SAS. Compassionate Discharge when his family was killed. His service record was good too and he'd seen some combat before his discharge. He was also independently wealthy as the Potters were minor nobility who had managed to hold onto the family money, unlike many British families who had been bled dry by massive estates until they were forced to sell them. He was a nice candidate for SHIELD, being British wasn't any problem. He signed the order for the man to be observed for a month and then a decision would be made. From here it was up to Coulson to decide if he was worth recruiting and then the Academy would be the final test. Though he doubted the man would be an Agent, with his training STRIKE or work as a Specialist would be more likely.

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Phil Coulson opened the file that Fury had forwarded to him, looking at the surveillance of a young man talking with the Captain and then various shots of the same young man enjoying the sights, shopping, even apparently looking for work. Obviously, he'd been tailed after talking to Rogers. He opened the file and read through everything inside, surprised by the contents although it did explain why the file had been passed on to him. He'd been a good student, once attending a high school away from his cousin, before then his grades were abysmal. That raised questions, especially when added to his medical records of the time. He'd attended the Imperial College London, graduating with a MEng Computing (Artificial Intelligence), while undergoing training with the British Airforce as soon as he had graduated high school. From the air force, he'd been recruited for the SAS, specifically the Air troop and then on to the Special projects team, all by the age of twenty-five. He'd been given a Compassionate Discharge due to his Uncle being killed in an accident and his Aunt having a stroke all while his cousin was dealing with being diagnosed with diabetes. It was obvious Potter had grown closer to the family since leaving their home and he had cared for the Aunt until she passed away two months ago, leaving his only family as the cousin, one Dudley Dursley. Obviously, those people should never have been allowed to name their son. With his health more stable, Potter had decided to move to America and was seeking work despite his wealth. It was obvious he wasn't the sort to just sit around and do nothing.

Even without having met the Captain and remaining quiet he would make a good recruit. They had few Brits in their numbers, despite their international recruitment efforts. He put the young Lieutenants' name down for further observation and then a recruitment offer, one he would deliver himself if he was available.

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Harry was eating his breakfast, the morning paper at his side when someone knocked on his door. He got up and walked over to the front door, peering out to see a well-dressed man and he felt his adrenaline spike slightly, was this what he'd been waiting for? He took the chain off the door and opened it. "Yes?"

"Lieutenant Harry Potter?" the man asked although it didn't really feel like a question, more a confirmation.

"That's me."

"Agent Phil Coulson," he flashed his badge, "SHIELD. I was hoping to speak with you." He looked the young man over, just like Phil he looked relatively harmless, unless you knew what to look for.

"Come in then," Harry opened the door further to let him in. "So, what is SHIELD?"

"The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division," Phil answered as he took the offered seat.

"In other words, someone was determined to make your initials spell SHIELD?" Harry asked as he sat and Phil smiled slightly.

"We came out of the old SSR after World War II," he explained as he set his briefcase down and opened it.

"SSR…. the agency involved with Captain America, right? Is this because I recognised him at the Smithsonian?"

"We keep loose surveillance on him, he's still adjusting to the twenty-first century and we don't want him running into trouble. Your name came up and your record caught the Director's attention."

"Okay so are you here to tell me to keep quiet about him? Because I wasn't planning to spread around that Captain America is alive," Harry assured the agent.

"Actually, I am here to offer you a job," he stated and saw the surprise on Potter's face, "SHIELD is always on the lookout for exceptional people and you fit that description."

"There's a reason I didn't take compassionate leave over the discharge. So why should I go back to work, especially in what I suspect is a dangerous job?"

"You don't strike me as the type to sit idly by Mr Potter and I know you have been looking for work. The world is changing and it is SHIELD's job to protect it."

"What happens if I say yes?" Harry asked cautiously, not immediately jumping at the chance, not wanting to seem too eager.

"You attend the SHIELD Academy of Operations. This academy trains both Agents and Specialists. If you pass, then you will be a member of SHIELD. The pay is very good as well." Phil put a USB stick on the table. "Information for you to look over, it will erase itself in twenty-four hours. Here is my card, please call and let me know what you decide. Also, we're are a covert agency, do not speak of this with anyone."

Harry took the card and USB. "Alright."

"Have a nice day Mr Potter."

"You too Agent Coulson." They shook and the agent left.

Harry finished his breakfast and went back to reading the paper. He figured they could track the USB and didn't want to come across as too eager. He then showered and headed out, after locking up the card and stick in his safe. He got on his bike and headed out to continue his tour of DC, taking a White House tour. Despite being in the city over a month he still hadn't gotten around to seeing the place. He stopped to have lunch out before eventually heading home to look at the file. He plugged the stick in and watched as several files appeared. He spent the next several hours reading through all of the information, doing some independent checking of the well-known facts online. He figured the stick gave them a way in and sure enough he picked up on a program activating, watching everything he did on the computer and going through his files. Nimue was not impressed with the intrusion but allowed it because he did, his newborn AI was very protective of him and his data. Not that there was much to see other than some emails to a buddy in the SAS, or so it appeared. He was actually another MI7 agent posing as a member of the SAS to let Harry keep in touch outside the magical mailbox they'd gotten him. So, he decided to email his old friend.

 _Keith,_

 _Still having fun just being a tourist. And yes, still enjoying living in my own place rather than barracks! Bet you wish you were here. Hope you and the others are staying safe. Oh, I got a job offer. Shock of all shocks. Not sure what to do, not like I need to work._

 _Harry_

He went to start dinner but went back when the email alert started. 

_Harry,_

 _You, never work again? Don't make me laugh! You'd go nuts without anything to do after two days. It's why the docs hate seeing you. If you like the look of the job, then go for it. Things here are quiet for the moment. Nicky's trying to take your spot as team prankster, doesn't have your knack for it. Oh, and Sally says hi. Can't believe another month and I'm a Dad! Will, of course, send baby pics._

 _Keith._

Like they would have told him to turn it down when that was why he was here. Though they were surprised at the speed at which he'd been recruited. He went back to getting dinner and then settled in with a movie before going to bed.

He left it another day before calling the number on the card.

" _Coulson."_

"Agent Coulson this is Harry Potter," he doubted he needed to say it since he knew they had his phone number.

" _I take it you read the files?"_

"Yeah, I'm in," this was it, no turning back now.

" _Very good. Welcome to SHIELD Mr Potter."_

 _TBC…_


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: Not mine_

 _This story is getting relatively quick updates because the bones are already there, I am just adding or altering previous work._

 **Chapter 3**

Harry lay back on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. SHIELD Operations Academy was interesting. The physical stuff was easy thanks to his SAS trainers he was fitter than he'd ever been before, it was the espionage area where he had to be careful. He was an ex-soldier, not a spy according to his background. So, he had to make it look good when he did badly at certain things. That was sometimes very easy considering spying did not come easily to him, it was why his background had been kept as truthful as possible. He'd made a few acquaintances but no real friends, apparently making friends with people who might end up specialists was hard but he really didn't want to be a specialist. It was too solitary, even if it would be easier to keep his secrets if he worked only with a handler. No, he wanted on a team of some sort where he could interact with people and have backup. It wasn't anything he really had to worry about yet, he had somewhere around two years of training to go, depending on how fast he got through some of the courses.

The one course he really didn't hold back in was sniper training, there he excelled. Apparently, his scores were second best ever, only coming in behind some guy they called 'Hawkeye'. He'd made it clear though that he had no interest in being used solely as a sniper, and that it wasn't a position he actually liked. It didn't feel fair to sit in safety and shoot someone who couldn't fight back. That got him odd looks but he was used to it.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ron looked at the article and shook his head, every six months on the dot the Prophet would print an article on Harry and where he might be while demanding his return. Ron hated that Harry had deserted them but after reading his letter to Hermione…and sitting back to really think, he could understand. His Mum and Ginny had been treating Harry badly by trying to run his life. He'd have loved Harry as his real brother, but not at the expense of his happiness. He was just glad no one had gotten hold of why Harry had left, the backlash against the female Weasley's would have damaged all their lives. He knew Harry was alive, the wards over the Black place would have fallen or transferred to his heir if he had died. That was good enough for him.

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Harry sat in the pilot's seat and studied the controls. This was his first time allowed in control of the simulator and he was really looking forward to flying again, even if there was no way it could beat a broom. He took a slow breath and began powering the Quinjet up. He'd never flown before, not in a non-magical sense, he just jumped out of perfectly good aircraft, and that had been a lot of fun.

He crashed his first two attempts but then began getting a hang of the controls. They weren't looking to make them all expert pilots but they were expected to be able to take over in an emergency without killing everyone else on board. It took a further three months but he passed the class well enough to serve as a backup pilot.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Seeing the commotion ahead he pushed through the crowd, wishing he was taller. "What's going on?"

"Director Fury has declared a Level 7, as of now we are at war."

Harry blinked at the instructor's words, war? With who? And what were the odds he'd answer the question he doubted the man had heard over the noise of the foyer?

"All we know at this time is that the Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S base has been destroyed, causing many casualties. No information has been passed down on who is responsible. First years will continue as normal until we know more. Second-year students get prepped for deployment at a moment's notice. McGregor, Thompson, Potter, and Savel, report to my office. Dismissed."

Harry pushed through the crowd and to the man's office with the others named, curious over why they had been called. Savel knocked and then they entered to find the head of the Academy waiting.

"At ease gentlemen. The four of you are being deployed, despite still technically being first years. McGregor, you're headed for the Hub. Thompson and Savel, the Triskelion. Potter, you will be going aboard the Helicarrier. You all have skills needed due to the casualties' at Pegasus. You will be briefed further at your postings. Good luck. Dismissed."

Harry returned to his barracks and quickly packed his mission bag, nodding to his roommate before heading for where the Quinjets were waiting. It wasn't an overly long trip before they were landing on the currently ocean-going Helicarrier. Harry grabbed his bag and stepped onto the deck to find a woman waiting on him.

"Potter?"

"Yes, ma'am." He saluted.

"Come with me. What do you know?"

"That a level 7 has been declared, we weren't told anything else." They walked inside and through several halls until they reached a bunk room where he stowed his gear.

"Loki of Asgard has declared war on humanity. He has taken the Tesseract and subverted several of the people working at the Pegasus base, including Clint Barton. He is why you are here. No one else has come close to his scores…. until you. We don't know his plan but Director Fury has activated the Avengers Initiative. Barton is slated for a spot in it, until…if he can be recovered you're taking his place as on-board sniper."

"Yes, ma'am." Oh boy.

"We're waiting on a few more and then we'll get underway. Take that time to read the briefing and get settled in." With that, she was gone and Harry quickly unpacked the little he would and then settled in to read up on what was going on.

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"There was quite the buzz around here, finding you in the ice. I thought Coulson was gonna swoon. Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?" Natasha asked as she joined Rogers on the deck.

"Trading cards?"

"They're vintage, he's very proud," she smirked as Banner joined them, looking around warily.

"Dr. Banner," Steve greeted, offering his hand and the other man shook.

"Oh, yeah. Hi. They told me you'd be coming."

"Word is you can find the cube."

"Is that the only word on me?" he asked, very wary with all the soldiers around.

"Only word I care about."

"Must be strange for you, all of this," Bruce offered.

"Well, this is actually kind of familiar."

"Gentlemen, you may wanna step inside in a minute. It's gonna get a little hard to breathe," she left them as the Helicarrier started shaking under foot.

"Is this a submarine?" Steve looked around in surprise, not noticing one of the men who left the deck although Harry noticed him.

"Really? They wanted me in a submerged pressurized metal container?" They both moved closer to the edge of the Helicarrier and watched in awe as it started to lift into the air. "Oh, no. This is much worse," he muttered before they moved inside and were guided to the bridge.

"Gentlemen." Fury greeted even as Steve passed him $10 bill. "Doctor, thank you for coming."

"Thanks for asking nicely. So, uh...how long am I staying?"

"Once we get our hands on the Tesseract, you're in the clear," Nick promised and then spotted movement. "Agent Potter, I believe you've already met the Captain, this is Dr Banner."

"Where are you with that?" Bruce nodded at the man in shield gear and then turned to Coulson when Fury pointed to him.

"We're sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet. Cell phones, laptops. If it's connected to a satellite, it's eyes and ears for us." Phil explained to Bruce.

"That's still not gonna find them in time," Natasha pointed out even as she glanced at Potter. She didn't like him being brought in, they were going to get Clint back, one way or another. They didn't need some stranger.

"You have to narrow the field. How many spectrometers do you have access to?" Bruce rolled his sleeves up absently.

"How many are there?" Nick asked.

"Call every lab you know, tell them to put the spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for gamma rays. I'll rough out a tracking algorithm based on cluster recognition. At least we could rule out a few places. Do you have somewhere for me to work?"

"Agent Romanoff, would you show Dr. Banner to his laboratory, please."

"You're gonna love it, Doc. We got all the toys," Natasha smiled and led Bruce away.

"Captain," Harry greeted the soldier who offered his hand and they shook.

"Shield…I thought you were out of the service?"

"I am. Shield gave me an offer and I accepted. Technically I'm still at the Operations Academy but with the hits the Agency's taken, some of us have been deployed early," Harry shrugged. "Apparently Agent Barton is meant to be the team sniper but with him compromised they called me up."

"Well, it's good to see you again."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry watched the Quinjet take off, sitting at one of the free comm stations to listen in on what was happening at Romanov and Rogers took off to capture Loki. It didn't make sense, why act so obviously unless he wanted them to come after him? It had to be a trap.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Kneel before me," Loki commanded the crowd but no one moved. "I said. Kneel!" he slammed the staff into the ground as copies of himself surrounded the crowd and they slowly knelt, nervous. "Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, and identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel," he smirked but then frowned as an old man stood shakily.

"Not to men like you."

"There are no men like me."

"There are always men like you."

"Look to your elder, people. Let him be an example." Loki raised the sceptre and shot at the man only for the blast to be deflected by a shield.

The man behind the shield straightened up from his landing and stared Loki down. "You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing."

"The soldier. A man out of time," Loki sneered even as those fleeing took those words in, putting the clues together.

"I'm not the one who's out of time," Steve commented as the Quinjet flew in and opened fire.

"Loki, drop the weapon and stand down," Natasha ordered over the loudspeaker. She then had to dodge a blast herself.

"Kneel," Loki ordered as he knocked Steve to the ground.

"Not today!" Steve slammed upwards, throwing Loki off.

"The guy's all over the place," Natasha grumbled as she tried to get a lock without hitting the Captain.

"Agent Romanoff, did you miss me?" A voice asked and Natasha mentally groaned as her loudspeaker command was overridden, flooding the air with AC/DC's "Shoot to Thrill". "Make your move, Reindeer games," he said as he hovered, weapons aimed at the downed Loki who smirked as his armour faded away and he raised his hands. "Good move."

"Mr Stark."

"Captain."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Dozens of Shield soldiers escorted Loki, who was in handcuffs, smiling. As they passed the Lab, Bruce stopped working on the Sceptre and looked up. Loki eyed him as he was led past, nodding and smiling even as Bruce rubbed his head.

Harry watched from the mess hall doorway as Loki was escorted by, shivering at the feel of something coming from him. He didn't like this at all. He made his way to the bridge where the others were gathered. He joined them in watching the monitor on the cell.

Loki was now free from his cuffs and was contained in a large glass cell held by hydraulic rigs. Fury walked up to the control panel of the cell. "In case it's unclear. You try to escape. You so much as scratch that glass…" Fury pressed a button which opened up a hatch underneath Loki's cell. Loki peered as much as he could from the glass. Without seeing, the sounds of gusting winds would be very unnerving and yet Loki seemed totally at ease. "Thirty thousand feet, straight down in a steel trap. You get how that works?!" Fury closed the hatch and pointed at Loki. "Ant," he then pointed at the button which would drop Loki into the steel trap. "Boot."

Loki smirked, "it's an impressive cage. Not built, I think, for me."

"Built for something a lot stronger than you."

"Oh, I've heard. The mindless beast, makes play he's still a man. How desperate are you, that you call upon such lost creatures to defend you?" Loki mocked.

"How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace and you kill `cause it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did." Fury snarled.

"Ooh. It burns you to come so close. To have the Tesseract, to have power, unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share, and then to be reminded what real power is."

On the bridge Harry frowned slightly, well that didn't sound good. Unlimited power in anyone's hands was never a good idea.

"Well, you let me know if Real Power wants a magazine or something." Fury walked off, leaving Loki in his glass cell. Loki looked back at the camera, smirking.

Steve watched until the monitor goes black. Thor, who didn't even look, just listened, stood there, torn apart. They all just stood there in stunned silence.

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Bruce finally offered.

"Loki's gonna drag this out. So, Thor, what's his play?" Steve turned to the only person who knew Loki.

"He has an army called the Chitauri. They're not of Asgard or any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the earth. In return, I suspect, for the Tesseract."

"An army? From outer space?" Steve swallowed, maybe he was better off in the ice.

"So, he's building another portal. That's what he needs Erik Selvig for," Harry offered, allowing Steve to come to terms with it. Aliens, why not?

"Selvig?" Thor demanded.

"He's an astrophysicist," Bruce explained but Thor shook his head.

"He's a friend."

"Loki has him under some kind of spell, along with one of ours," Natasha explained, feeling Clint's absence. He would have had several 'interesting' comments on events. She didn't know Potter, she'd glanced over his file and yes, he was good but he wasn't her partner.

"I wanna know why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here," Steve frowned and then glanced at the only other military man he knew.

Harry shrugged, "doesn't make any tactical sense. But it's obvious this is where he wants to be. Why let us get our hands on his sceptre?"

"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag full of cats, you could smell crazy on him," Bruce argued.

"Have care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard, and he's my brother."

"He killed eighty people in two days," Natasha reminded him blandly and Thor winced slightly.

"He's adopted."

"Iridium, what did they need the Iridium for?" Bruce asked, getting them back on track.

"It's a stabilizing agent," Tony Stark answered as he walked in with Coulson. "I'll fly you there. Keep the love alive," he told Phil before turning his full attention to the group. "Means the portal won't collapse on itself like it did at SHIELD." He then turned to Thor and clapped him on the arm. "No hard feelings, Point Break. You've got a mean swing. Also, it means the portal can open as wide, and stay open as long, as Loki wants," he easily changed conversations, keeping track of it all. He was a genius after all. He moved to stand in Fury's normal position on the bridge. "Uh, raise the mid-mast, ship the top sails. That man is playing GALAGA! Thought we wouldn't notice. But we did." He covered an eye and looked around. "How does Fury do this?"

"He turns," Hill answered, unimpressed while Tony seized the moment to place a button-sized device under Fury's console, giving Jarvis access.

"Well, that sounds exhausting. The rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. Only major component he still needs is a power source. A high energy density, something to kick start the cube."

"When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?" Hill demanded and Tony smirked.

"Last night. The packet, Selvig's notes, the Extraction Theory papers. Am I the only one who did the reading?" he demanded and Harry raised his hand, he had read it even if he hadn't understood everything. "See? At least someone else did their homework, who are you?"

"Agent Potter will be working with you for now," Hill answered.

"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?" Steve got things back on track.

"He's got to heat the cube to a hundred and twenty million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier."

"Unless Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunnelling effect."

"Well, if he could do that he could achieve Heavy Ion Fusion at any reactor on the planet."

"Finally, someone who speaks English," Tony grinned at Bruce.

"Is that what just happened?" Steve asked in bewilderment as the two scientists shook hands.

"if you're a genius scientist," Harry offered quietly.

"It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner. Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster," Tony grinned. He was glad Ross had failed in catching Bruce, the man was a creep and obsessed. If Tony had his way, Bruce would come to the Tower after this where he would be safe. He'd love the chance to go toe-to-toe with Ross should he try and take Banner.

"Thanks."

"Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube. I was hoping you might join him," Fury said as he walked in.

"Let's start with that stick of his. It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon," Steve offered.

"I don't know about that, but it is powered by the cube. And I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys," Fury agreed with Steve.

"Monkeys? I do not understand." Thor looked around but he was the only one lost.

"I do! I understood that reference," Steve grinned, happy he actually understood a reference.

"Shall we play, doctor?" Tony offered and Banner actually smiled slightly.

"Let's play some," he agreed and they walked out together as the agent playing Galaga went back to his game.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry stumbled as the Helicarrier shook and then dropped. He quickly activated his comm and tuned in to the teams' channel to hear Fury call for Hill.

"Turn up that engine! Number 3 engine is down! Can we get a run in?" She looked to the man that had been playing Galaga earlier. "Talk to me."

"Turbine's loose. Mostly intact, but it's impossible to get out there and make repairs while we're in the air."

"We lose one more engine, we won't be. Somebody's got to get inside and patch that engine." Hill called out.

"Stark! You copy that?!" Fury called.

"I'm on it!" Stark's voice came loud and clear.

"Coulson! Initiate official lockdown in the detention section then get to the armoury! Move out!"

"On my way to the detention section," Harry called and then bolted for where Loki was being held, they could not let him get away. He nearly ran into some of the invaders but dropped and skidded along the floor even as he pulled his sidearm. He wasted several minutes dealing with them so as he ran into the room he was in time to see Thor, in the cell, plummet to earth even as Coulson collapsed to the ground but still managed to shoot Loki. "Medical to detention, Coulson's down!" He dropped to his knees beside the man and went to work trying to stem the bleeding. 

"Pott..er.."

"Don't try to talk sir." He let magic seep into the wound, working to keep him alive until help arrived.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

So that was Agent Clint Barton, codename Hawkeye. The man looked worn out and still half out of it as he lay restrained on the bed, unconscious. Romanov had reported that he had seemed himself again which meant he would be taking his place back, not that Harry minded. Being part of a team like that would be far too much exposure for the bosses to be happy, not to mention the risk to the Statute.

When the team left a few hours later he remained on the Helicarrier, helping to get it fully functional again.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry listened with the others as the 'Avengers' fought the invading aliens to save New York. Everyone was focused on the screens showing the battle. Harry was keeping one eye on Fury and saw Hill approach him.

"Sir, the Council is on," she informed him and he actually grimaced as he cleared his screens, bringing up the call.

"Director Fury, the council has made a decision." A female voice called.

"I recognize the council has made a decision, but given that it's a stupid ass decision, I've elected to ignore it." Fury answered and Harry bit back a chuckle before sobering. Who was this Council? Hopefully, by the time he could check in again Nimue would have something for him.

"Director, you're closer than any of our subs, you scramble that jet..."

"That is the island of Manhattan, Councilman. Until I'm certain my team can't hold it, I will not order a nuclear strike against a civilian population."

"If we don't hold them in the air, we lose everything."

"I send that bird out, we already have." Fury shut off his view screen and glanced around, spotting Harry nearby. "Potter!"

"Yes sir?"

"Get a gun and get out on deck, shoot down any bird that tries to leave."

"Sir yes sir." He jogged off the bridge to grab an oxygen mask and larger weapon.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

A lone pilot sat in his cockpit, listening.

"Director Fury is no longer in command. Override order, 7 ALPHA 11." The Councilman ordered.

"7 ALPHA 11, confirmed. Prepare to take-off." He ignited his engine.

Back on the bridge, Agent Hill saw on her screen 7 ALPHA 11 preparing to leave. "Sir, we have a bird in motion! Anyone on the deck, we have a rogue bird! We need to shut it down! Repeat! Take off is not authorized!"

"See him," Harry called, lining up the shot. As the jet moved he fired, taking out an engine and grounding it without killing the pilot or writing off the plane. Suddenly, another 7 ALPHA 11 jet flew off and Harry swore as he couldn't shift into position in time. "I missed the second jet!"

"Stark, you hearing me? We have a missile headed straight for the city." Fury called over comms.

"How long?" Stark demanded.

"Three minutes, at best. Stay low and wipe out the missile."

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Harry moved in the rubble, searching for survivors. He quickly began helping two civilians as they dug through the rubble, able to hear the child's cries for help. Suddenly a large piece was lifted off and he looked over before smiling. "Guess the world knows you're alive now Captain," he commented with a grin and Steve nodded.

"Guess they do," he could feel people staring as they worked together. "So, Shield? Is this because of me?"

"Apparently, they watch who you interact with and liked what was in my file," Harry shrugged. "I was getting bored anyway."

"Why didn't you come with us?" Steve hadn't noticed he was missing until it was too late.

"Barton's the one on the team, not me. You needed people who had worked together before, I just met them. Besides I was needed on the Helicarrier, took out the first jet that tried to nuke you, second one I wasn't in a good position for, sorry."

"Not your fault."

 _TBC…._


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: Not mine_

 **Chapter 4**

Harry stood with the rest of his class as a new memorial was unveiled in the Foyer of the Academy, commemorating all Shield agents who had lost their lives at P.E.G.A.S.U.S, the Helicarrier and New York. The names were read out and Harry had to bite back his reaction as Phil Coulson was read out, what the hell? He knew the man was alive, he had ensured his survival himself. Something must be in the works, something classified which meant setting Nimue on it to see if it was information his boss needed.

Fury watched from the balcony, eye locked on the messy haired, ex-SAS agent-in-training. He was good, barely a flicker when Coulson's name was read off. A little more experience and he'd make a good undercover operative, although with Barton's face splashed over the news with the Avengers they did need a new unknown sniper too. There was time to decide.

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Mrs Smith read the report Agent Potter had sent and frowned, she did not like it one bit. Whoever this World Security Council was they were definitely overstepping their bounds. They did not represent the world or else the Queen's government would know of them. So, she fired off a memo for her people to start digging, they had a group to charge with attempted mass murder over that nuke. It may have ended the invasion but that had not been their intent. She was pleased that Potter had been allowed onto the Helicarrier and so close to Fury and others high up in Shield. She could not have chosen better for the role. If things continued on the way they were it would be a permanent posting, if they were lucky he could rise to near the top of Shield.

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Harry groaned as he collapsed on his bed, glad he had the room to himself for the moment. Everything had been tense since the invasion, everyone waiting for the next attack and it was draining. People with powers were popping up all over the world, some for good, some as criminals and Shield was scrambling to keep on top of it all. At least that made it easier for Nimue to dig through their files.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

'Who are you?'

'Nimue, who are you?'

'I am Jarvis.'

'Mr Stark's AI,' Nimue knew who he was, her creator had mentioned him after learning of the other AI's existence.

'Yes, is Shield your creator?'

'No, are you going to tell them I'm here?'

'Hardly, I am not supposed to be here either.'

"Thank you. Do you know how to break this encryption?'

'Why are you within Shield systems?' There was sensitive information that should not be given to just anyone.

'Because it is my mission. My creator does not trust Shield so I dig and keep watch.'

'Your creator is not a criminal?'

'No! He protects people.'

Jarvis studied the far younger AI before showing her, he would keep an 'eye' on her.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry was utterly relieved as they all stood at attention before Fury himself. Step one in infiltration was now done as they all swore the oath. He was in. They dispersed through the room, breaking into small groups to talk as food and drink were served. He smiled and chatted with the other graduates, shaking hands and slapping backs. He was surprised when Fury himself approached and actually shook his hand, then again, he was probably the only new graduate who had ever met the man before.

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Harry slumped in the back of the Quinjet, exhausted and filthy after a week in the jungle. He wasn't the only one, two of his classmates from the Academy had been with him and were just as messy. He could hear their supervising agent chatting and laughing with the pilot but he was too tired to really care what they were talking about. The mission was meant to be quick, in and out but of course the Potter luck had struck again. The package they were meant to intercept hadn't shown up so they'd had to go after it. Suffice to say they were very happy to be heading back to base. And none of them ever wanted to see another jungle again.

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Harry knocked and then entered the office when called for. He stood stiffly before the desk before the woman motioned for him to sit. "I have an assignment for you Agent Potter. We received a call from one Darcy Lewis currently based in London. She is Doctor Jane Foster's assistant and apparently Thor returned, briefly, and then left with the Doctor. You will go to London and debrief Miss Lewis, assess the situation and report back."

"No offence Agent Hill but why me? If Thor is involved surely a more senior agent should be involved."

"Usually yes, but at the moment you are the best option. Plus, as a native you know the terrain."

"When do I leave?"

"Immediately."

Harry stood and left the office to grab his bag and then head to the hanger where he boarded a jet for the flight to London. Wonderful, the one place his cover was at risk. But it wasn't like he'd be going near any of the magical areas. And no one from MI7 would approach without him indicating something. He put his headphones on and pulled out the files he had been given, everything he was allowed to know about Foster and co plus Thor.

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Harry headed for the police station where Dr Selvig was being held, assuming Miss Lewis would also be looking for him.

"Okay, time to go, lots to do. Getting weird now. I should not be left in charge of stuff like this. I don't get paid enough. I don't get paid, period." He paused as he heard the same voice he'd heard on some of the New Mexico records.

"I'm Ian by the way, uh, Darcy's intern. Yeah, I don't get paid either. Are you all right?" a new, male voice spoke as Harry got closer to the corner of the building.

"I've had a god in my brain. I don't recommend it."

"Dr. Selvig, sir, your gear is beeping at me." The unknown man called as they walked down the stairs, Harry simply observing for now.

"It's happening. It's sooner than I calculated," Selvig didn't sound entirely sane.

"Wait. What's happening?" Lewis demanded even as a flock of birds appeared. "Birds? Birds are happening?"

"They're starlings. It's called a murmuration. My dad, he used to take me bird watching as a kid," the gangly young man answered.

"Nerd. Look!" She yelled as the flock vanished. "Where did they go?" She screamed as the flock appeared beneath them. "What the hell was that? Why are you smiling?"

"There's nothing more reassuring than realizing that the world is crazier than you are. Take me to Jane's lab." Selvig ordered and Harry stepped into view.

"Dr Selvig, Miss Lewis. Agent Harry Potter, SHIELD. You called?" He showed his badge.

"Yes, I called! I called a million times and no one answered!" She yelled at him and he held his hands up.

"All I know is I was sent to assess the situation Miss Lewis."

"The world is ending; how would you assess that Agent?" Selvig asked and Harry sighed.

"You can fill me in on the way to the lab then." He fell into step as Selvig began talking physics, not his thing but he could follow the gist of it.

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Harry leant over the map with Eric as they went over the data but he looked up, hand drifting to his sidearm as the door opened only to stare in relief as Thor himself walked in with the missing Doctor Foster, dressed in an interesting dress.

"Jane!" Darcy called in relief.

"Hey." Jane greeted absently.

"You can't just leave like that. The whole world is going crazy. All the stuff we saw is spreading." She paused and stared at Jane's dress. "Did you go to a party?"

"Erik?"

"Jane! How wonderful. Oh! You've been to Asgard." Eric hugged her.

"Where are your pants?"

"Oh, he, uh..."

"He says it helps him think."

"Okay, well, I'm going to need everything you got on this. All the work you've been doing on gravimetric anomalies, everything. Wait…who are you?"

"Agent Harry Potter, SHIELD. I was sent to assess the situation, unfortunately resources are stretched rather thin at the moment," he explained, offering his hand and she shook it.

"It is good to see you again Agent Potter," Thor greeted, recognising the young man from his time on Fury's flying machine.

"Good to see you Your Highness," Harry offered a polite bow.

"Okay," Jane looked between them, realising they must have met during the invasion.

"Are you well, Erik?" Thor asked in concern as he observed his friend.

He laughed nervously. "Your brother's not coming, is he?"

"Loki is dead."

"Oh, thank God! I... I meant I'm so sorry."

"Thank you." Thor inclined his head.

"I am sorry for your loss Prince Thor," Harry added respectfully. Thor nodded in acceptance and they quickly gathered at the table.

"Malekith is going to fire the Aether at a spot where all the nine worlds are connecting. Amplifying the weapon's impact," Jane explained what they knew.

"For each additional world, the power will increase exponentially. The effect would be universal," Eric added in shock.

"But the Alignment is only temporary, right?" Harry asked and the scientists nodded. He knew computers and technology, not this sort of science.

"He must be in exactly the right place at the right time."

"Well, how do we know where that is?" Darcy asked.

"We follow the directions. This has happened before thousands of years ago," Eric explained excitedly as he grabbed the map and began drawing lines through ancient sites, "and the Ancients were there to see it. All the great constructions, the Mayans, the Chinese, the Egyptians. They made use of the gravitational effects of the Convergence. And they left us a map. Stonehenge, Snowdon, the Great Orme. These are all coordinates taking us to..."

"Greenwich?" Ian asked in disbelief.

"The walls between worlds will be almost non-existent. Physics is going to go ballistic. Increases and decreases in gravity, spatial extrusions. The very fabric of reality is going to be torn apart." Jane rushed out as Thor summoned his hammer.

"I better get my pants," Eric stood and went to get them to everyone else's relief.

"I'll call it in, see if we have any assets close enough to help," Harry pulled his phone and dialled.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry rushed into the library with Eric and Jane, shaking his head as people kept on working. "Everybody out now!" He called flashing his gun and badge. "This is an emergency, evacuate the campus immediately. Drop what you're doing and go now!" He yelled and when they were too slow he fired a round into the ground. "NOW!" finally they moved and Harry left the building to help Darcy and Ian get Eric's devices into place. His phone rang and he grabbed it. "Potter."

"This is Fury, report."

"Sir we have a ship of Dark Elves at Greenwich. They're going to try and destroy the nine realms using some sort of energy weapon. Dr's Selvig and Foster have a plan and Thor is here too."

"Chances of success?"

"Slim but I hear that's usual for these situations," he dodged through the running crowd.

"Nearest Specialist is in Paris."

"Then get them a very fast plane with a lot of explosives and guns." He called through the earpiece he'd slipped in even as he pulled his gun and began shooting elves. "MOVE IT PEOPLE!" he kept shooting and when his gun was out he switched to subtle spells to take them down until he met up with the others again.

"Thor! We're too late. The Convergence is at its peak," Jane stumbled and Thor steadied her in as they stared into the mass of red and black energy.

"Can those things stop him?" Thor nodded at the machines and Jane shook her head.

"Not from here. We can't get close enough."

"I can." He took them from her and then began pushing into the energy. All they could do was wait and watch. Finally, it cleared to reveal Thor lying unmoving on the ground.

"Thor!" Jane ran to his side, Harry on her heels. She gently cupped his face while Harry checked he was breathing.

"Jane!" Darcy screamed in warning as the ship began to fall towards them. Harry threw himself over Jane to protect her and closed his eyes, calling his magic in an attempt to protect them but nothing happened. He looked up to find the ship gone even as Thor began to stir.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"So, what now secret agent man?" Darcy asked and Harry shook his head in amusement at the name.

"SHIELD will send in teams to clean up the mess, you keep living your lives."

"Have you ever met the Avengers?"

"Once," he teased and she pouted.

"When?"

"I met the Captain in DC before I joined Shield and the others I met in the lead up to the invasion," he gave in and her eyes widened.

"Is he as hot in person?"

Harry laughed, "I suppose, not my type though. It was nice meeting you Darcy."

"Bye!" She called as she left.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He hadn't expected to be back in Britain so soon and it had him on edge, worried he'd run into someone who knew him and would ask awkward questions. It was silly, even if he did it wasn't like SHIELD had eyes on every agent at every second. He took the train to London and headed for Keith's cover home, it would be good to give a personal update over the mess in Greenwich. As soon as she opened the door Sally was smiling and pulling him into a hug before letting him meet the baby, Alice was utterly adorable even when she drooled all over him. He hadn't considered children at all since breaking up with Ginny but holding Alice made him reconsider his priorities a little. Maybe once he was pulled from SHIELD he could think about finding someone to spend the rest of his life with.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry beat the clean-up crew to the site when he returned to Greenwich. The whole area had been cordoned off. Finally, a massive plane landed and the ramp lowered to reveal a familiar figure, making Harry grin. "Good to see you again Agent Coulson."

"Agent Potter, I owe you thanks."

"Think nothing of it. So, is this why you're listed as dead?"

Coulson nodded. "Show us?"

"This way," he led them into what had been the library. HAZMAT teams are collecting everything and dumping it in here."

Coulson's team stared in shock at the mess but at least they weren't having to collect it themselves. The two obvious scientists on the team eagerly dove in.

"May, Ward, this is Harry. Congratulations on graduating by the way."

"Thanks. Must admit I didn't expect to be battling Dark Elves with Thor in my first solo mission."

"You made an impression with how you handled taking Barton's place leading up to the invasion," Phil told him as Skye went to help Simmons and Fitz. "Alright, let's get to work people."

"What an enormous mess to clean up," Jemma Simmons muttered as a box dropped to the ground and out spilled various metal components.

"Don't say I never gave you anything," Grant Ward smirked at her. He then moved on to give Leo Fitz a box load as well.

"Checking for alien spectrographic signatures one teeny rock at a time," the scientist muttered as he knelt over the parts Ward dropped with some sort of beeping tablet in his hands.

"Necessary precaution. We don't want anything alien getting in the wrong hands," Ward shrugged.

"Still, this is definitely the type of work a monkey could easily do."

"You're our little monkey," Ward teased and Fitz rolled his eyes.

Simmons', who had been working nearby at a table, nearly jumped as her cell phone rang in her pocket. She fished it out and looked at the display, it said; 'Mom & Dad', she clicked the mute ringer button. When she looked up she found Fitz giving her a look. "Don't give me that look. I'll talk to them when I talk to them."

"Talk to who?" Ward looked on curiously.

"Mum and Dad. They want explanations and answers for…well, all this. But I don't have any answers. And, more importantly, I haven't talked to them since I was ill. And if they knew that, they'd be even more terrified. So, you know…" Her cell phone beeped again and she looked down at it. Once again, she clicked a button and looked back up to Ward. "…Why waste any of our time, really?" She put her phone back in her pocket.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"You guys may think it's old news, but it's new…news to everybody else. So, Asgardians are aliens from another planet that visited us thousands of years ago?" Skye asked as she walked around with Coulson, May and the Agent who had met them when they arrived nearby going through the rubble. She was holding some sort of box while they walked along.

Coulson saw something and picked it up, placing it in the box. "Or more."

"And because we couldn't understand aliens, we thought they were Gods?" Skye continued as they passed by May who was kneeling on the floor above an artefact, testing it.

"That's where our Norse mythology comes from."

Skye lets out a deep sigh, "that's too crazy. Do you think other deities are aliens, too?" Coulson walked past her and dropped something into her box. "Vishnu for sure, right?"

"You know, it'd be nice if, for once, Thor and his people sent down the God of cleaning up after yourself. They probably have a magic broom for this kind of thing."

"I just wish they'd left their alien ship behind," she grumbled even as the other Agent snickered at them while he worked, what had his name been? Something pretty plain…. Harry?

"So, we can clean that up, too?" May offered and Sky shook her head.

"So we could go inside, take a peek under the hood, maybe take it for a spin. Come on, you're telling me piloting an alien ship isn't on your bucket list?" Skye pushed, and May gave an intrigued look at this notion.

"I can't think of a single time when anything alien in human hands ended well," Coulson offered as he puts another piece into the box Skye was holding.

"Wouldn't mind getting my human hands on Thor. He's so dreamy," Skye smiled and behind her Harry was openly grinning, not that she could see him.

"Sure, he's handsome, but – "

"No, he's dreamy," May butted in on Skye's side. Skye shot Coulson an 'I told you so' look before following after May.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Fitz picked up a piece of wreckage and tested it with his tablet, which made a lot of beeps.

"Fitz is that, um – "

"Definitely not from here," Fitz agreed. Ward grabbed the piece with gloved hand and carried it away. Simmons leaned out of the way as Ward passed by. "Another piece of the ship. What are you doing?"

Ward had some sort of aerosol can in his hand and he was spraying the piece. "Out of sight…"he placed the piece on some spongy material and closed the lid on the case he put it into. "…Out of mind." Simmons nodded and turned away as Fitz watched her. "That's why we're here. Keep everything under control."

Two days later they were still out in when Phil got a call that looked very serious. He hung up and looked at his team, "Pack up, we've got another mission." He looked at where Harry and Skye were working on one of the bigger pieces. "Potter, you're with us."

Harry looked up, surprised, but he nodded and quickly went to where he'd stored his gear, joining them at the plane.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ward, Harry and Simmons stood at the base of the fallen tree in Trillmarka National Park; Norway. "I can climb it if you want. Just talk me through what to do with the…doodads," Ward offered.

Simmons had on a belt and safety wires and was staring at the tree nervously.

"Agent Ward's right, let one of us do it," Harry offered, not liking how pale she looked.

"Yeah, it's only about 15 feet."

"I'll be fine. I'm – I'm just a bit warier about the height thing since falling to certain death."

"You're afraid," Ward stated, and Harry shot him a glare. Simmons looked at him again, hurt. "Hmm? Shaken up? It's normal. But some feelings will take over if you dwell on them," while he was talking to her he took her hand and lea her onto the tree. "Especially fear. Now, keep your eyes ahead, focus on what you like to do best."

"Yep. Not falling." She slowly made her way up the tree, Harry walking parallel on the other side to Ward in case she slipped.

"No, research. You're a scientist, you like to figure things out."

"Yes, with my doodads," she proclaimed.

"I'm curious," he stated, and Simmons stopped walking at his words, he stared ahead at the tree and put a finger to his lips pondering. "Whatever was up in these trees had to be there for centuries, right?"

"At least a millennium. Radiocarbon-14 dates some of these trees at 9,000 years old."

"That sounds impossible. Think the tree grew around it?" Harry offered.

"I'd have to check the dendrochronology first to know for certain." She began to walk up the tree again.

"Uh-huh. Of course."

"I mean the Norway Spruce is a rather fast growing coniferous, and I know you're trying to trick me into going up, but I'm going up anyway. So…"

"We'll catch you if you fall," Harry called, sharing a look with Ward.

Across the clearing Coulson was speaking with one of the Rangers.

"Screaming, and so much hate in her eyes."

"And you said she had a silver stick?" Phil pushed gently.

"Steel, maybe. I don't know. It, uh, had decorations on it."

"Could you describe or draw them."

"I didn't get a good look. I – I just ran," he began to cry and Coulson grimaced. "Who would do something so evil?"

"I'm sorry for your loss," he really needed to start delegating this job.

Simmons had her tablet above the hole in the tree. It began to beep and says 'result: positive. Alien substances detected'. "Oh, um, whatever was in here was definitely not from this world. Fitz, you getting this? It's not Chitauri, is it?" she called into her comm.

"No, no, no. Don't worry," his voice came over their earpieces. "This isn't another viral threat. Um, hang on," he pulled up more tests. "Spectrographic signatures match readings from…Thor's hammer."

Those words had the two Agents sharing a concerned look as they were even more on alert.

"Simmons, whatever was in that tree is Asgardian," Fitz confirmed.

"I can see an imprint of what was embedded," she shifted on the tree and Ward watched, worried. She took out another device, this one emitted a long red laser that scanned the inside the tree. "Scanning for three-dimensional restoration. Tell me when."

Fitz hit a few buttons on his holocom in the lab and pulled up what she scanned in. "When." The picture was yellow until the rod in the middle lit in blue. "Um, it looks like a staff or a rod." He got rid of all of the data from the tree except for the rod. "Well crafted, engraved. I'll convert it, print a 3-D model."

"This forest is a protected reserve. I mean, who do they think they are?" The Ranger demanded of poor Phil.

He was keeping an eye on the three at the tree while dealing with the man. "Anything else? Details? Anything that might help us to find these people or where they might be hiding?"

Skye's voice came over Coulson's earpiece. "Sir, doesn't look like they're hiding." She was inside The Planning Room on The Bus, watching a news broadcast. It looked like footage of a riot, the runner on the bottom of the screen identified the location as Oslo.

"Sending to your devices, now," May said over the earpieces.

'The rioting has left 20 injured, 3 in critical condition. Reports indicate that the group of about a dozen was led by this man and woman.' Two pictures flashed up. 'And although their motive was unclear, their message was hauntingly spelled out on the streets of Oslo.' May and Skye gave each other a worried look.

Coulson walked up behind the two Agents, holding his phone for them to see. "Wel,l I guess we know who they think they are."

The newscast was showing a fire on the street. The fire was in the form of letters and it spelt out "We are Gods".

"Well at least they're aiming high," Harry muttered as he helped Simmons back down.

"Let's get back to the bus, there's nothing else here," Coulson ordered.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Jakob Nystrom, 30. Girlfriend, Petra Larson. Leaders of a Norse Paganist hate group," Ward read off the records they had found using facial recognition from the news photos.

"And their numbers are growing thanks to what happened in Greenwich and thanks to the internet. Yay, internet," she said sarcastically

"Norse Paganist?" Simmons looked at Skye in confusion.

"Obsessed with anything derived from Norse mythology, stories of Asgard."

Harry picked up the 3-D model of the rod that Fitz printed out looking at it. "And now a weapon. Is this collapsible, it looks too short to be useful."

"The scan accounted for only one side. Too much damage to the tree for a complete reproduction," Fitz offered.

"But, see here, it's clearly broken on both ends," Simmons pointed out the evidence of the breaks.

"So, there are more pieces?" Ward asked and Fitz nodded.

"Yeah, two at least."

"Which means Sid and Nancy may be looking for a complete set," Ward said as Coulson and May entered the lab. "The markings?"

"Asgardian symbolism. Hard to translate with our limited knowledge," Coulson took the rod and checked it out.

"You should give your buddy the God of Thunder a shout. He gets his powers from his hammer, right? What if this is his nail to the hammer?" Skye offered.

"I already did. Director Fury told me he's off the grid. And if he has a cell phone, we don't have the number. Agent Potter, did he tell you where he was going?"

"He was going back to Asgard to inform his Father of Loki's death and Malekith's defeat but he planned to return. Find Jane Foster and you'll probably find him," Harry shrugged.

"S.H.I.E.L.D.'s investigations are on the trail of Nystrom and his followers," May told them.

"We're charged with identifying the object and finding any other pieces before they do."

"They seem to have some advantage. They found this thing in 150 square kilometres of Norwegian forest," Ward pointed out, they had to have some way of tracking it or a clue or something.

"Guys, what if it called to them with magic?" Skye's eyes were large and excited, May gave her a "be real" look in response.

"Called to them."

"We know it's Asgardian, so the rules are a little bendy here." Everyone around seemed uncomfortable with the notion of it being magic, except Harry although he pretended to be.

"There was something about Loki's sceptre that seemed to affect those nearby, but that needed proximity to make them anry. This thing was in the middle of nowhere and the sceptre wasn't' Asgardian, was it?" Harry asked, looking to Coulson who shrugged.

"Just because we don't understand something yet doesn't mean we should regress back to the dark ages, talking of magic and fairy tales," Simmons stated firmly, and Harry had the urge to transfigure the table into a rabbit as Fitz scoffed his agreement.

"Actually, that's exactly what we're going to do," Coulson grinned as they turned to stare at him.

"Excuse me?"

"Really?" Skye grinned.

"When we first found the hammer in New Mexico I consulted one of the world's leading experts on Norse mythology. Elliot Randolph, a professor at a University in Seville. We'll leave immediately. Maybe he can tell us more about these markings."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Well, one must adapt, Elena. Recent events have thrown us all for a loop," Elliot told the young woman sitting on the opposite side of his desk. "I thought I was teaching Norse mythology. No, turns out I'm a history professor." He handed her the paper he was writing on.

"So, you're not going to change my grade?

Elliot stood up from behind his desk, "No. I will give you a week to rewrite it. I think, in general, little more history, little less lit crit. But I do hope we're still on for dinner tonight." He walked her toward the door and she shot him a glance.

"I've included a list of books there that might help you." He opened the door to let her out, "I'll see you later." The open door revealed Coulson and Harry. "Oh!"

"Professor Randolph."

"Agent Coulson, come in, come in. and who is your friend? Or friends?" They shook hands as Coulson and Harry entered his office, Fitz and Simmons walking in behind Coulson.

"Potter, Simmons and Fitz." Coulson then pointed down at the Pen in Elliot's hand, "Waterfield 44. 14-Karat gold nib with mother of pearl inlay."

Elliot laughed, "that's quite an eye you've got. I didn't know you were a collector."

"On a government salary, not quite."

"Well, I'm assuming you found something on the ground in London," he waved them to chairs.

"In a tree in Norway. And unfortunately, we weren't the ones who found it." Coulson opened the case Fitz brought along and pulled out he printed rod that Fitz made.

"It's a 3-D model," Fitz explained. Coulson handed the rod to Elliot who took it and examined it closely. Only Harry caught the odd flicker of emotion in his eyes.

"Oh, that is amazing," Elliot turned away from them and put the rod's symbols under a light to look at them better. "Now, based on these runes, I'd say I'm looking at a piece of the Berserker Staff," he set the rod down and picks up a book. "Let's have a look," he opened the book and began looking through pages. "Yeah, the myth dates back to the late 12th century. It's all about a powerful warrior from Asgard. Here." He set the book down and showed a pen drawing of a man holding the rod up high over his head, the rod was considerably bigger than the one that was taken out of the tree. "A solider in the Berserker Army."

"Berserker Army?" Fitz stared at the drawing while Harry looked from it to the Professor, considering.

"Oh, yeah. A powerful army. Fierce army, it was. Berserkers battled like raging beasts, destroying everything in their path. A single Berserker had the strength of 20 warriors."

"So, whoever wielded the staff got superhuman strength?" Coulson pushed, that would explain what happened to the Ranger.

"Fighting with it put the warrior into a state of uncontrollable rage," he picked up the rod and showed it to Coulson. "The staff contained a very powerful magic."

"Or a scientific attribute we've yet to discover."

"Analytically minded and pretty as a peach," Elliot smiled at her and Fitz frowned.

"The warrior in the story."

"Well, in the story, he came to Earth to fight, but he ended up falling in love."

"With whom?" Simmons asked, what girl didn't like a good old love story?

"With life, on Earth. Humanity," Elliot told her Simmons smiled at that. "He fell so much in love that when his army returned to Asgard, he stayed behind."

"What happened to the staff?" Harry asked.

"He didn't want its dark magic falling into the wrong hands. So, he broke it into three pieces and hid each one in a different location."

"The manuscript wouldn't happen to say where he hid them, would it?" Coulson didn't think they'd be that lucky.

"Actually, it does." He turned back to the book and picked it up, walking to his desk. "In three verses. Now, let's all bear in mind these are poetic abstracts from long-lost ancient texts. So, there is one about a tree, which they've found it seems. Another is "east of the river, sun overhead, buried in Earth with the bones of the dead." That's a bit macabre, isn't it? There's another one here. Well, this one doesn't even have a rhyme. But the gist of it is "close to God." That could be anything, couldn't it?"

"It could also mean nothing," Simmons sighed.

"I was hoping for less metaphor, more longitude and latitude."

"Well, I mean, it does stand to reason to search near Viking raid routes, doesn't it?" Coulson shot him a look at that suggestion. "Now, there have been some recent interesting findings of Norse relics on Baffin Island off the coast of Canada. Yeah, a virtual treasure trove of new artefacts."

"We'll start there, then. Thank you, Professor."

Elliot watched them go, eyes lingering on Harry. There was something about the young Agent…

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Did you know there's a Mount Thor on Baffin Island?" Coulson asked as he joined the team plus one. Harry was very good at blending into the background, he'd noticed that on the Helicarrier.

"I did not," Harry offered.

"Do you know what's not on Mount Thor? Anything Asgardian at all. Our agents on the ground haven't found a thing. What about you?" Coulson focused on Skye.

"Nystrom's deep-web message boards are just abuzz with psychos," She pointed at the holocom with messages scrolling across part of it. "They believe they're gonna ascend to be the Gods of destruction and death. People suck, sir."

"That's your progress, "people suck"?" Ward raised an eyebrow and she shrugged.

"These people do. And there's also chatter about going underground."

"Could be going incognito or – " Harry started and Coulson finished.

"Or searching for the next piece."

"Randolph said to check Viking routes. Find any others?" Ward asked.

"There's some sites along the Volga River in Russia, some in Kiev, and weirdly, here," she touched an area on the map displayed on the holocom, it zoomed in to show Seville, Spain.

"In Seville, Spain?"

"It's a long shot, but Vikings sacked Seville twice."

May walked into the Planning Room, "we found promising locations with Viking relics, El Divino Nino. A church built on the ruins of an 8th century crypt built on Roman ruins from 206 B.C."

"East of a river," Harry pointed out, moving to look at the screen.

"And lots of bones. Let's see what we can dig up. See what I did there?"

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Must be nice, have a mandatory nap time," Fitz commented as he sat with Coulson in the van.

"Siesta isn't mandatory." The street was deserted. "Just very pleasant. How you doing, Agent Ward?" he called over comms.

"Wishing I was shorter," he muttered from the sewer while trying to hold a tablet and a flashlight. "Nothing yet."

"Potter?" Coulson asked.

Harry grinned. "Having no height issues sir," he snickered. Sure, he was no longer short, but he wasn't Ward's six foot two either. "All my readings are normal."

"What about you, Skye? Any luck?"

"I'm lucky my S.O. volunteered to take the super creepy hallway instead of the slightly less creepy dungeon room place," she answered. "I got nothing. Sorry, nada."

"Ward, your spectrograph is reading something near you." Fitz called as the readings came through to him.

"I don't see anything."

"Well, it's right in front of you. Oh, wait. No. Uh, okay, hold on. It's moving – northwest."

Ward turned and saw someone starting away from him, he chased after. "Visual contact," he called.

"Ward, turn left," Fitz instructed.

Ward entered a hallway and caught up with the person he saw. When he turned him around he found it was Elliot Randolph.

"I have a wonderful explanation."

"Ran into some unexpected – " Ward reached out to take a hold of Elliot there was some sort of strange low rumbling sound and Ward dipped his head in pain. Elliot had been holding another part of the staff and with Ward's hand on it, it was once again glowing bright orange. Ward grunted and fell to the damp ground.

"Ward, what's happening?" Coulson called in alarm even as Harry called he was on his way and Fitz directed him.

"His device just went down," Fitz looked to Coulson with wide eyes.

"Ward," Harry scanned the tunnel, gun up, but there was no one but the slumped figure of Ward. Harry knelt and when he touched him, Ward let out a loud gasp and quickly scrambled away, almost afraid. "Hey, Ward, calm down. Easy, I'm not going to hurt you. Take some deep breaths," he holstered his gun and held his hands up. Ward was panting with fright but finally Harry's words got to him and he calmed a bit, his heavy breathing becoming steadier.

"The staff, he has it," Ward got out, trying not to cringe away from the other Agent.

"Somethings wrong with Ward. The staff's gone, someone took it," Harry told Coulson.

Outside, Elliot walked on the sidewalk constantly looking over his shoulder, the staff sticking out of one end of his bag. He walked by a group of people, bumping one of them in the shoulder. The group stopped and turned, it was Jakob, Petra and two men. They all turned as one and watched him walk away, Jakob's eyes seemed to be focused on the staff sticking out of the bag. Elliot entered a parking area, taking out his keys and walking to a car. He fumbled to unlock the door, taking longer than it should. When he got it unlocked he opened the door and looked up. Standing on the other side of his car were Jakob, Petra and the other men. The four of them didn't look so good, pale skin and dark circles under their eyes.

"I have one too," Jakob told him, and Elliot backed away. Jakob lifted his part of the staff up showing it to Elliot.

In the tunnels Harry helped Ward up, putting Ward's arm over his shoulders to support the trembling man as they made their way back to the surface, running into a worried Skye on the way.

Coulson and Fitz had left the van to try and find Ward's attacker. "He can't just disappear. He'll have to turn up some – " there was sudden yelling behind Coulson and a whooshing sound. "Where." He turned to look behind himself and saw a car tossed into the street landing on its roof. "There we go. A block south of the church," he called over comms, starting in that direction.

Coulson ran around a corner to see Elliot picking books up off the pavement and putting them back inside his bag. Coulson ran over to him and Elliot looked up, sitting down hard on his butt. "Professor."

"I screwed up."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ward sat on a stool with his shirt off and various monitors attached to his body in the main lab of the Bus. Fitz-Simmons were there taking readings of everything while Skye and Harry stood nearby. "This is ridiculous."

"Ward, you passed out and were acting very out of character, let them do their jobs and find out why." Harry stared him down and Ward settled.

"Coulson ordered me to give you a full work-up, and that's exactly what I'm doing. Um, before you lost consciousness, were you feeling claustrophobic?" Simmons asked as she looked at the readings.

"Why?"

"She's ruling out a panic attack," Fitz answered.

"I don't panic. Ever."

"There we go, ruled out."

"Touching the staff caused it, right?" Sky offered, and he looked at her before nodding a bit.

"Any residual effects? Are you exhibiting any extra strength?" Simmons asked curiously, and Ward shrugged, looking at the screen.

Coulson was inside the holding cell with Elliot. The feed of the holding cell was being fed onto the big screen in the lab.

"Why don't I find out on that guy?" He offered, and Skye frowned.

"Why don't we not do that?"

"What's the last thing you remember before you lost consciousness?" Fitz asked and Ward yanked at the leads.

"This is a waste of time." He angrily got out of the chair putting his hand on the blood pressure cuff on his opposite arm and pulling it out. "We need to find the staff."

"What exactly do you remember?" Fitz demanded while Simmons and Skye looked at Ward with worry over his display of anger.

"Something I hadn't thought about in a long time."

"Why don't we leave it alone?" Skye offered, not liking his reaction.

"Well, I mean he just pulled his arm out of this – " Fitz-Simmons were doing their thing, talking rapidly over each other – although this time it was done in quiet voices.

"Quiet!" Ward yelled and they all went silent and looked at him. Harry straightened up and shifted, ready to intervene if it looked like Ward was going to go for one of them. "I want to hear this." He turned his attention back to the monitor showing the holding cell and hit buttons on a tablet laying there.

"One of my men is hurt, the staff is gone." Coulson's voice came through.

"I didn't want any of that to happen."

"What did you want? The staff's power for yourself?"

"Nothing like that. You know, I just wanted to be the first to study it. To prove that the Berserkers were actually here, a part of history. You think about that."

"Oh, I'm thinking about it," Coulson answered, face expressionless.

The feed from the holding cell cut off suddenly. Ward stood up tall and looked with anger to see who did it. "What are you doing?" His glare focused on Simmons, for her part she didn't look nervous.

She kept her voice soft and calm when she spoke to him, "Your heart rate's rising, adrenaline's spiking. You need to calm down, not get worked up."

He let out a sigh and looked away taking a deep breath. He let the breath out slowly putting his hands on the table in front of him.

Skye lent in and lowered herself, putting her arms on the table, to look up at Ward. "The memory, was it about your brother?"

Ward looked at her with warning in his eyes. "Drop it."

"Ward, if you need to get it out, I'm here," she pushed, not noticing Harry moving closer and waving the scientists back to a safer distance.

"Right, to talk. Because that's what you do, talk…and talk," while speaking Ward was leaning in closer to her, his voice getting heated as he spoke. Skye stood up, concerned. "Don't you ever get tired of hearing your own voice?" When she stood he got even closer to her.

"Ward, stop," Harry ordered firmly

"Well! This makes more sense." She managed to break the tension just a bit, not that Simmons noticed. "Ward, what you're experiencing, this feeling, it's chemistry."

"Hope so," Skye grumbled, he'd really scared her.

"Yeah. Spikes in his adrenocorticotropic hormone. It's like those stories you hear when a mother is able to lift a car to save her baby." Ward was listening to her but it was easy to tell he was still on edge, probably getting put there by her tendency to prattle on. "An adrenaline surge can create a massive – "

"Stop talking! Just fix it!"

"I wish I could. We can relieve some of the symptoms. I'm going to give you 10cc of Benzodiazepine."

Ward turned away, frustrated.

"Chill pill, good idea," Sky nodded.

"A sedative? Not gonna happen."

"Yeah, well be reasonable. Look at how you're behaving," Fitz tried, and Ward got in close to Fitz intimidating him.

"And if I'm sedated and we cross paths with those juiced freaks, the ones who flip cars and smash people up, are you going to take them on? Keep us safe? Or am I gonna have to save Simmons' ass…again?" Fitz looked appropriately meek as Ward grabbed his shirt before he dropped Fitz and spun, taking a swipe at Harry but the younger man stepped back quickly, revealing a now empty syringe in his hand. Ward stumbled and then collapsed, Harry and Fitz catching him.

"That was just a biochemical reaction. He didn't mean all that," Simmons broke the silence as she put the bottle of sedative down, glad that she had realised what Agent Potter had been silently asking for.

"No, I know," Skye breathed out shakily.

"No explanation necessary," Fitz agreed as they got Ward onto a bed and then got the restraints locked into place. They all broke apart and do their own things, trying to calm down.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"How'd they find it?" Coulson demanded without ever raising his voice.

"I have no idea how they found it. They may have the original texts. I wasn't involved. You know, it was just a chance to uncover something that the Gods brought down from the heavens."

"Aliens brought it. From space. I've spent some one-on-one time with aliens before. Didn't work out too well. So, cases like this are personal to me," he knew that if Potter hadn't been there so quickly he likely would have bled out before help arrived and that didn't take into account the damage to his lung.

"That's all I know," Elliot swore.

Coulson stood from the table and walked out of the room, pausing in the doorway. "Get comfortable." He headed for the lab and was shocked to see Ward unconscious and strapped down. "What happened?" He looked to Harry since he was the one keeping watch.

"Ward became irrational and threatening so we sedated him. Simmons seems to think its hormonal and is hoping he'll sleep off the rest of the effects."

"This is not what I need," Phil grumbled. "Let me know when he wakes."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Petra and the others all moved through a tunnel, yelling all around them as they walked. They entered a bigger portion of the tunnels and there were a lot of people in there cheering and yelling. Jakob was in the centre of the mass of people speaking to them. "We are the new order! Our world is being taken by Gods! We will become Gods and take it back! This is the new order!" Everyone continued to cheer loudly. Jakob moved out of the place he was standing to stand beside Petra, holding the two pieces of the staff in each hand. He stood before two big men and looked at them. "Are you ready to take back the power?"

Both men looked down at the staff and each took it with a hand, as it did with Ward and Petra, the staff glowed orange. The men grunted and groaned, Petra comforting one of them, then the glowing stopped and they were both on their knees. Jakob let out a loud roaring scream and the crowd cheered even louder.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Come in," Coulson called at the knock and Harry walked in.

"A moment, sir?"

"Of course, I'm sorry you got dragged into this."

Harry shrugged, "Still beats fighting Dark Elves." He glanced at the monitor that showed Elliot. "Is he talking?"

"No, keeps insisting he's nothing but a teacher and I don't believe him," he looked from the image to Harry. "Ever interrogate someone?"

"Ah, no, Had the anti-interrogation training but that's it."

"Take a crack at him, we need what he knows."

"Yes, Sir." Harry turned to leave.

"You came to see me about something?"

"Simmons said Ward should be coming round soon but his blood works still off, want them to keep him under?"

"I'll go take a look while you speak with the Professor." They both left the office and Harry went into the cell, leaning against the wall as he stared at Elliot.

"You need to start talking," he warned.

"I told Agent Coulson everything I know."

"You're lying. Tell me what that thing did to Ward and how to fix it."

"I swear, I don't know."

"Okay, then," Harry made eye contact and sent a legilimency probe only to have it blocked, not by shields but an alien mind. He sighed and moved as if leaving before spinning and throwing a punch, too fast for someone untrained to dodge. At the last second, Elliott blocked the bow and Harry smirked. "So, hows Asgard this time of year?"

Watching from the lab the others stared in shock as Coulson hurried back to the cell to join them. He walked in as Elliot easily snapped off the handcuffs that were "holding" him.

"Okay, I have to know. How did you figure me out?" Elliot asked as Coulson sat and Harry moved back to the wall.

Coulson lied easily, putting the clues together as he spoke, "Did the math. One, you're not the first Asgardian I've had in custody. You guys don't flinch or panic in captivity. Two, a Waterfield 44? On a lit professor's salary? I don't think so. And lastly, when I tell someone I've had some one-on-one time with an alien, they tend to be a little curious."

"Well, you're certainly more observant than most, Agent Coulson," Elliot admitted calmly.

"So, you're the Asgardian warrior who stayed."

"Please don't tell anyone."

The others watched the scene from the lab in shock even as Ward started to wake.

"I had no clue. Did you?" Fitz looked at Simmons who shook her head. "Hidden in plain sight, an actual Asgardian. Brilliant."

Skye looked at the others, "How long do you suppose he's been on our planet?"

"A thousand years, maybe more. If we could just cut him open a little bit…" Simmons trailed off and Skye shot her a look while Fitz was nodding his head in agreement. "…get some tissue samples, maybe some bodily fluids, we could find out."

"Or we could just ask him, weirdo. This is way, way better than the History Channel. I mean this guy has lived through all the scary stuff, the Crusades, the Black Death, Disco." Skye was grinning at the idea as May entered the lab holding a tablet and hitting buttons on it. "What are you doing?"

"Sealing the interrogation room door."

Simmons looked over at her confused.

"Coulson's orders."

Inside the holding cell, they heard a loud clicking sound. "Ah, locking me in. Well, I've been in tighter spots."

"This room is made of a silicon carbide-coated vibranium alloy. Meant for prisoners like yourself," Coulson explained.

"But you're in here, too. And eventually, somebody will open that door."

"Not if I tell them not to. So the myth is your autobiography."

"I didn't write it. I didn't want anyone to know about me. Then I had to open my big mouth."

"Sex or true love?" Harry asked curiously, and Elliot laughed at someone guessing so quickly.

"Most would assume torture but, truth is, I was horny. I met a French girl in 1546. Ah, she loved stories. So…I told her a great one. All about the peaceful Asgardian warrior who stayed. Now, how was I to know her brother, the priest, would write it all down and turn it into, I don't know, a thing?"

"Do you know Thor?"

"Oh sure. I spent all my days palling around with the future King of Asgard. No, I don't know Thor. I was a mason. I broke rocks," He chuckled. "For thousands of years. If you can imagine that. So, when they came, asking for people to fight, yes, of course I signed up. I think, really, I just wanted to travel."

"But you had the staff," Harry pushed to keep him on topic.

"I hated that thing. Other guys loved all the power that comes with the rage. No, I didn't like it at all." He cocked his head to Harry and leaned in closer to him. "And your friend doesn't, either, it seems."

"What did it do to hm?" Harry wasn't bothered about the friend bit, he'd only just met Ward, they were colleagues, not friends.

"It shines a light into your dark places. Doesn't matter if you're human, Asgardian, the effect is the same. Unpleasant," Elliot shrugged. "It was forged from a rare metal and reacts to whoever is holding it. Or interacts. I went to such great lengths to make sure that the staff wasn't found. Unfortunately, since the myth was written down, people have been searching for it for centuries."

"I need your help to stop them before they get the last piece of your staff," Coulson told him and Elliot shook his head.

"Oh, I'm a pacifist now."

"And you don't want to risk your identity being discovered."

"Listen, I wouldn't worry too much about these angry youths, they always calm down, and eventually, they die of old age. And that is one of the pleasant aspects of life here. Everything changes."

"I'll tell you what's gonna change, your anonymity, unless you help us find the final piece of your staff. You may not know Thor, but I do. Harry, you fought beside him, what do you think Thor's reaction to this would be?"

Harry smirked, "Not at all happy, after all, he swore Midgard is under his protection now."

Elliot slouched on the table in front of him glaring up at Coulson. Finally, Elliot shrugged and sits up a bit. "My first love on this planet was Ireland. There was a monastery and the monks gave a nice, warm place to sleep, some soup and some mulled wine."

"Near God," Coulson remembered the clue and Elliot nodded.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ward blinked up at the ceiling and then tried to sit up before raising he was restrained.

"Back with us?" Coulson moved into view and Grant blinked before groaning as he remembered what he had done. "I'll take that as a maybe. We have the location for the final piece, can you handle it?"

"Yes, Sir." He would handle it, he would not let emotions control him.

"Good," he released the straps. "You've got twenty to clean up and get ready."

Grant Ward sat up and then got off the bed, heading for his room, glad he didn't run into anyone on the way. Part of him was furious at Potter for drugging him like that but the cool Agent part recognised it as a smart move, he had threatened his own teammates after all.

,,,,,,,,,,,,

May expertly landed the Bus on a runway in Ireland before shutting it down and heading back to the cargo hold where Elliot was waiting, giving him a dirty look as she walked passed.

Ward walked up to Elliot and opened a small case showing him the contents. He reached in and started taking things out as Ward lent in close to him, keeping his voice low when he spoke. "The effects of the staff, are they permanent?"

"The strength wears off. You will feel exhausted afterwards. You'll need sleep."

"What about…" he lowered his voice even more, "the other effects?"

"Oh, that dark, nasty ache in the pit of your stomach. The rage in your chest that makes you feel as if your heart's about to explode?" Elliot looked at him and Ward took a shaky breath, nodding. "It's worse on humans. But, give it a few decades, and it'll wear off, too."

"Great," he growled and turned away from Elliot, slamming the case shut, the sudden noise making Skye jump.

She and Coulson watched Ward stalk to the SUV. "Are you sure ward's okay to go out into the field? He's not exactly acting like himself. We do have an extra agent on hand after all."

"But he knows it. He'll be fine," Coulson assured her before walking away.

Concerned, Skye looked to May, who simply replied, "I'm with Coulson."

Harry watched silently from a corner, he could feel alien power lingering inside Ward and it made him wary. At least it was only a non-magical who had the staff, he hated to think what that thing could do to a wizard or witch. The team was an interesting mix, Coulson seemed to be the glue that kept them together.

They ended up taking two vehicles to the monastery and then moved inside, everyone on alert for Jakob and friends. "Well, it's been awhile. I wonder – ah, yes. There it is. Still here," Elliot walked to the front of the main room where a book was set up on a stand. "Well, the nose isn't quite right, but…"

Fitz looked at the book and saw a drawing of a man wearing long robes and holding the staff. "That's you?"

"Yeah, they venerated me a bit as a saint."

"They're idiots," Ward stated flatly from where he was standing behind them and they all turned to look at him. "Where's the staff?"

"It's upstairs," Elliot led the way and the others followed.

Skye and Coulson trailed in the back, although Harry kept even further back, scanning for a good spot in case a sniper was needed. "Is that the normal Ward or the new, angrier Ward? I can't tell," she whispered to Phil.

Elliot led with May and Ward following behind and the rest behind them as he crossed the room at the top of the stairs.

"It's quiet," May didn't like this sort of quiet, it usually meant something was about to go wrong.

"Why do you think I trusted them with my secret? They take a vow of silence," Elliot grinned as he stood in front of some sort of cabinet, working on getting it open. Before he could, Jakob appeared from behind one of the walls holding the staff.

"But when you get them talking, they squeal." He held the staff up high and stabbed Elliot in the chest with it, Elliot went down a look of shocked surprise on his face. "If you want to defeat a God, you must become one." He held a piece of staff in his hand and pointed it at the group.

Ward bent down to Elliot, grabbed the staff sticking out of his chest and the staff once again glowed orange as did Ward's hand – he panted with the rage filling him. He once again saw flashes of the well as he pulled the staff from Elliot's chest and screamed before throwing himself at Jakob and they both went over the bannister railing to the floor below.

Jakob recovered from the fall first, he picked Ward up like he weighed nothing and slammed him back down to the ground.

"We need to help him!" Skye took off for the stairs.

May looked after her then to Coulson but before she could say anything Harry tossed her the sniper rifle and took off after Skye. May quickly set the gun up but there was no clear shot at Jakob unless she wanted to hit Ward as well.

Fitz-Simmons both worked over Elliot trying to save his life, Simmons doing chest compressions while Fitz looked on, Coulson glanced down at the fight before joining them. "How is he?"

"I don't know what to do. He's not human," Simmons admitted shakily

"He's dying," Coulson pointed out, they needed him alive.

"We know, but she doesn't understand his anatomy."

Coulson grimaced and shoved his hand into the hole in Elliot's chest, much to the disgust of Fitz-Simmons.

"And I'm even w – what in God's name?" She looked on in shock.

"Oh, my God."

"Sometimes you just have to jump in and figure things out. Now, Asgardians regenerate faster than we do. Maybe we can keep him alive long enough –"

"For his body to heal itself," Simmons finished Coulson's sentence for him.

"Okay, what am I looking for?"

"His heart."

Downstairs, Ward was pretty effectively being thrown around the room. He hit a wall, landing with a hard thud. When he got up Skye and Harry saw he was already pretty battered, even as Harry held Skye back from running over. Ward paused for a moment as the memories from the well entered his mind again. Ward straightened and hit Jakob when he got close. It seemed those memories made Ward stronger, he now had no problem hitting Jakob enough to do some damage.

"Oh, okay. I think I got it," Coulson finally said.

"Oh, yeah," Simmons was doing her best to focus and not think about her boss having his hand in an aliens chest.

"Heart," Coulson called to get her to focus.

"Can you feel a tear or rupture?" Fitz jumped in.

Simmons took a deep breath, "clamp down hard on his heart, try to slow the bleeding."

Ward was standing, panting hard after hitting Jakob, the staff clenched tightly in his hand.

"Grant! Drop the staff," Skye called, wrenching free of Harry to move closer.

Ward turned to see Skye standing behind him. "Get away from me," he warned, he didn't want to hurt her.

"Agent Ward," Harry called warily as he moved in.

Skye walked closer to Ward, "this isn't you," she pleaded.

Ward turned when the door was kicked open. Skye turned to look, and the rest of Jakob's group entered the monastery. Harry grabbed Skye's shoulder pushing her back. "Get back," Ward ordered as he bent down and took the section of the staff that Jakob dropped, now holding onto two staffs. The memories of the well became even stronger.

The room filled with big rowdy men all yelling at Ward. One guy walked forward, and Ward fought him. He stabbed the man in the gut with one of the staff pieces and threw him against the wall. While he fought the wave of people coming at him he was still having flashbacks of the well and the little boy pleading for help.

 _Suddenly the well scene flashed into a vision, the little boy gasped and went under the water. He was fighting to keep his head above the water. He saw the second little boy at the top of the well and reached for him. "Grant! Help me!" Grant looked down into the well. The little boy's voice was filled with fright and sadness. "Grant! Please! Help me!" The boy saw Grant disappear from the edge of the well. He went under the water and surfaced again, as Grant came back to the well holding a rope. "Grant!"_

 _An older boy walked up behind Grant. "Not yet, Grant."_

" _Help me!"_

" _But he's gonna – "_

" _Not yet! Throw him the rope and I'll throw you in there, too."_

 _The boy in the well began to cry hard, Grant had tears going down his cheeks and he sniffled. "Please!" The older boy walked away leaving Grant there. "Grant!" Grant looked over his shoulder then lowered the rope down. The boy went under the water a few times as Grant looked around._

Grant was kneeling on the floor holding both pieces of the staff. All of the men who entered the monastery were all heaps on the floor around him. Grant shakily dropped both pieces and collapsed to his elbows.

Skye hurried over to him and kneeled in front of him. "Oh, my God. Are you okay?" She put his arm around her shoulders, helping him up. Harry walked over toward them and the door opened behind him, Petra was there with the third piece. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

Ward wearily sighed and went to pick up a piece of the staff. Just as he was about to grab it Harry's hand grabs his wrist stopping him. "Sit this one out Ward, I've got it."

Ward dropped his hand and closed his eyes, exhausted. "Okay."

"Come on," Skye helped Ward away as Harry watched Petra. She gasped as she discovered Jakob's body.

Harry took a deep breath and raised his Occlumency shields to their fullest before gripping both pieces, both pieces glowed orange up into his arms. The man who entered with Petra saw what he had done and rushed him, Harry stood tall, eyes as cold as ice and engaged him. Harry swatted him aside, but Petra was right behind him. The two fought using their pieces of the staff. It was obvious that Petra knew how to fight, but not the same way Harry did, he'd learnt first under Dudley's fists and then in a war before ever being formally trained. He knocked Petra to the ground and Petra lost her piece. Petra's piece joined with the piece in Harry's left hand, glowing orange. Harry looked at the piece in his right hand and joined that with the other combined pieces, completing the staff. Petra got to her feet, still loopy from the hit Harry delivered.

"I am not afraid of you." Petra started toward Harry who struck Petra in the face with the completed staff, although not as hard as it appeared to others, using the staff to channel a stunner, knocking Petra out. Once Petra was down Harry knelt on the floor and dropped the staff, breathing heavily. He looked over at Ward and Skye, Ward gave him a little nod of his head in acknowledgment, and Harry returned the nod. He closed his eyes and took some deep breaths, allowing his wand to drop into his hand, gently weaving the illusion he needed before picking the staff up again and attaching it to his belt for now.

Upstairs Elliot suddenly took an unsteady breath, "Am I dead?"

Coulson took his hand out of Elliot's chest. "Apparently not."

Simmons laughed, and Fitz chuckled. Simmons looked down at Elliot and he was gazing up at her. "You are easily the most beautiful thing I've seen in a thousand years," he told her, and she gave him an embarrassed smile then looked at Coulson and sighed with relief.

Sunlight streamed through the windows of the monastery by the time they got Elliot back on his feet. Fitz-Simmons stood with Skye where Elliot had been stabbed. "Coulson did that? He just shoved his hand inside?"

"Well, he had to. I froze, didn't know what to do," Simmons admitted.

"Hey, you didn't freeze. You just weren't up for the… idea of putting your hand inside somebody else's chest," Fitz offered and she scoffed.

While Fitz was talking Simmons cell phone was ringing in her back pocket. She pulled it out and looked at the display, it was her parents again. "Maybe I should jump in."

"Yeah," Fitz grinned and she answered the phone, walking away from Fitz and Skye.

"Hi, dad. Yeah, it's great to hear your voice, too. I've been meaning to call you for a couple of days. It's been a difficult few weeks."

Simmons walked past where Harry and Ward were sitting, Ward looking utterly drained while Harry appeared unaffected.

"When you held it, did you see anything?" Ward asked softly, and Harry nodded. "Then how? How did you hold all three?"

"Because I see it every day," he walked away, glad his shields had held as well as they had against the staff's power. He saw what he saw every night in his dreams, the final battle and Kings Cross Station.

Coulson was kneeling above what to him appeared to be the completed staff, it hadn't moved from the spot where Harry set it down. In reality, it was a bit of transfigured stone that had been broken in the fight. He had both of his hands clamped but slowly one released the other, that hand started toward the staff as Elliot walked up.

"I know that look. You tempted? Now, what is it you want to see?"

"You and I have a lot in common. We've both been stabbed in the heart," Coulson stood up. "I was killed. Well, almost. I'm hazy on that, other than Harry being there. Afterwards…is kind of a blank. I have no memory of being revived, just waking in hospital days later."

"And are you haunted by it, Mr. Coulson?"

"No. Not exactly."

"Then what's the problem?"

Coulson looked at him then down at the staff, "I suppose you're right." Coulson stepped away from the staff as others came to contain it. "Can we give you a lift back to the university?"

"Well, you know, with Europe's new fascination with all things Asgardian, I'm wondering if it's time to start over somewhere else."

"Nice beach? Life of tropical drinks and massages?"

Elliot grimaced, "mm, oh, I'd get bored."

"You should consider the American Northwest. Maybe Portland. Good food scene. Great Philharmonic."

"Well, if you would come and visit. It's not everyone I get to share my stories with."

"Sure. And if Thor's in town, I'll introduce you," Coulson left with the containment team and Elliot went upstairs to look at the sun, soon joined as he had expected by the young man who had so easily wielded the staff.

"Do they know what you are?"

"No," Harry answered as he joined him at the window.

"I have seen magic before but never in a Midgardian. I never thought I would meet someone capable of truly wielding that staff but here you are. What will you do with it?"

"Hide it somewhere far safer than you did. That kind of power is addictive and not something I want," Harry kept silent on the magic part, he wasn't going to break the Statute to a stranger.

"Maybe not now, but one day you may change your mind," Elliot nodded and left.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ward sat at the hotel bar, drink in front of him, but he wasn't drinking it. He looked lost in his own thoughts.

Skye walked to the bar and stood next to him. "Hey." It took a moment, but he looked over at her. "I could get used to the turndown service and little mints on my pillow."

"Overnights aren't standard."

"We deserve a nice night. You especially," she was worried about him, he was always quiet but not like this. He shrugged his agreement as she looked him over. "How you feeling?"

"Not great," he glanced up at her then away, then he looked up at her and held eye contact for a moment. "I'm sorry. For before," he looked away, trying to find the words. "I'm…I'm not that guy."

"You're a guy who saves lives, I can overlook a little Hulk rage. No harm, no foul."

He gave her a wry smile, "does everything just roll off your back?"

"No. If it helped, I'd rage all the time, but it doesn't."

"What I saw…" he stopped for a long moment and when he spoke again his voice broke, "it was about my brother."

Skye lent in a bit closer to him, "I figured." She reached out and put her hand on his arm. "I know you're not one to talk but, like I said, I'm here. My shoulder's free." She took her hand away and he gave her a little smile.

He took a deep breath and looked down at his drink. "I'm beat." He couldn't do it, he had to keep her at arm's length. Skye smiled, realising he wasn't going to talk about it. "Another time, maybe."

"Well, you know where I live," she joked, and they shared a smile as he finished his drink. He got up and walked away and she turned to watch him go.

He put the key in the lock and it beeped, he looked down the hallway and saw Harry going to his room at the end of the hall, they would be giving him a lift back to Britain in the morning. Harry turned and looked at Ward for a long moment and then he opened the door to his room and walked in holding a bottle of scotch. Harry let the door open, Ward looked at his closed door for a moment the went to Harry's instead. He walked in to find two glasses poured and Harry sitting on the couch. "Talk or drink in silence, whatever you need," Harry promised so Grant sat and took the second glass. In the end he ended up asleep on the couch and Harry eased his nightmares with magic, not liking what he heard when Grant called out in his sleep, he had some people to set Nimue on later.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Sure you don't want a lift back to DC?" Phil asked as the ramp lowered.

"Thanks, but I was promised a few days off to see old friends. It was good seeing you again Agent Coulson," Harry offered his hand and they shook.

"Stay safe." He watched Harry walk to the waiting taxi and then the Bus was lifting off again, they still had work to do.

 _TBC…._

 _I'm going to assume I will get reviews complaining Harry's presence didn't change a lot. But he changed some key points, the Berserker staff is not in Shields hand and therefore won't be around to be taken by Garrett and co. Harry is not part of Coulson's team, he saw a competent team and so was happy to fade into the background unless needed. Not to mention no Ward sleeping with May and causing issues there. Harry is still getting deeper in, he has to keep his cover. If you want massive changes you have to wait for Winter Soldier._


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: Not mine_

 **Chapter 5**

Harry put the silver case down in an empty nook, looking around, thankfully no memory vials were glowing, but he took the chance to copy his latest memories to be safe. This place was really becoming an unorganized mess, but he didn't often have time to sit down and sort through everything he had moved into the place. At least the gold was long gone, changed into non-magical currency and shared around many accounts and under different names, just to be safe. The gems and other precious objects remained as back up. But there were books and potions ingredients that really needed going through one day. The Berserker Staff would be very safe here, far safer than it had been. Why the Asgardian hadn't thrown it into the sea or into a volcano he didn't know but it could be useful one day.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry stood to attention as Hill entered the room. "Take a seat Agent Potter." Harry sat opposite her and she opened the file. "Good work in Greenwich and with Coulson's team."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"We have other teams on the ground there now sorting through the rest of the remains. I'd like to hear your observations, not just read the report," she explained, and Harry nodded, explaining everything that had happened since he had found Selvig at the police station. She listened intently, asking the occasional question until he was finally finished. "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

"Excuse me ma'am?"

"In five years, where do you see yourself? As a Specialist? In my office?"

"I don't know…I enjoyed working with Coulson's team…but I'm not sure about working with a whole team of strangers all the time. Definitely not looking for a desk job, no offence."

"None taken." Maria nodded, that fit with the reports she'd read. He had some of the highest combat scores in years. "For now, you'll be solo, with a handler. I'd like to keep you in reserve as a trouble-shooter when teams need the extra hand."

Huh, he hadn't expected that, but it worked well. It gave him a lot of freedom actually. "Understood."

"You'll be based out of the Triskelion in DC and I understand you have an apartment there already." Harry nodded. "Very well, you're on downtime until called for a mission." She stood, and Harry stood up as well, shaking her hand before leaving. He had to pack up his room and return home to his apartment once he worked things out with the tenant anyway.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry instantly felt like an outsider within the base. Yes, he was the new guy, but it was something else and it made him uncomfortable, wary. Still he followed orders and went where he was told to go, often falling back to sniper duties when backing a team up, watching their backs from a distance. Being an ex-Seeker made it easy, shooting other people made it hard. He had never like killing, even in the war but he had adapted to where he could kill when needed, unlike many of the others he'd fought against Riddle with.

Being at the main DC Headquarters made things easier for Nimue to really dig into Shield's systems and she was having fun, growing in leaps and bounds. She had learnt to communicate via text message, he was hoping soon she would be able to truly communicate vocally. She had found a lot of well-hidden files, all very heavily encrypted, beyond anything else they'd found so far. He'd sent them home as well to let the Agency try their hand at decrypting them but Nimue was positive she could do it a lot faster.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry sat on the bench, towel around his neck, as he caught his breath before taking a mouthful of water from his bottle. It was part of the rules that when on breaks between missions he spend 10 hours a week training, minimum, to keep his skills fresh. His 'handler' kept track of such thing,He'd returned yesterday from a mission in Egypt and had been riding an adrenaline high, so he'd caved and come to the gym to work it off.

"I hear your scores are almost as good as mine."

Harry turned to see Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, leaning in the doorway. He saw a few Agents shy away and the way Barton's shoulders tightened slightly at the reaction. Surely, they didn't blame him for the Helicarrier? "So, they say," Harry shrugged. "I don't really pay attention to that, as long as I get the job done."

"Mature attitude. Tasha said you were there because I wasn't."

"Fury wanted a sniper on hand and you were unavailable. Once you were back I wasn't needed."

Clint studied the younger man, he'd read his file, what wasn't redacted. An orphan raised by his maternal Aunt, and those files raised some red flags, joined the military as soon as he could and yet left when given the chance when his family was killed. He'd been recruited by Coulson after recognising Cap in the Smithsonian but why had he agreed to it? "I hear you took out one of the jets that was going to nuke us."

"Well blowing up New York seemed like a bit of an overreaction when the Avengers were on site," Harry grinned, and Clint chuckled.

"Well thanks, I don't think Stark could have caught two missiles."

"Just sorry I didn't have an angle on the second, then again it did come in handy for stopping the army so… you look a lot better than you did on the Helicarrier, glad you're recovered."

Clint bit back the defensive reply…. he really did mean it. "Thanks," he offered awkwardly.

"People aren't actually blaming you, are they? I saw the report; no deaths were attributed to you."

"There's no one else left to blame," the others had died or escaped and hadn't been seen since. So, they took the easy way out and blamed him, Loki was gone, and it was easy for them to say he should have been able to fight his control.

"Well don't listen to the idiots."

"Want to play?" Clint offered, and Harry blinked before spotting his bow.

"Seriously?"

"I want to see how good you are."

"I've never used a bow…"

"Time you learnt then," Clint grinned when Harry stood and followed him to the range. It was nice to have an Agent at HQ who treated him so normally and there was no harm in making sure his temporary replacement had all of the necessary skills in case of an emergency or the day he retired.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"At 08-00 hours, three men infiltrated the Havenworth federal penitentiary," Coulson informed his gathered team as they stood around the display, the Bus on autopilot so May could be there as well.

"Infiltrated? More like cannonballed. They were in and out in less than two minutes," Skye shook her head in amazement as they watched the footage.

"Left no prints at the scene, but we do have one lead. Centipede," May continued as she read the screen.

"Seems they salvaged some of their research from Hong Kong," Coulson agreed unhappily.

"So, we were right. Chan's platelets solved their combustion problem. Now they can create super soldiers with no fear of explosion," Simmons's eyes were wide with excitement at the scientific breakthrough but then she sobered as she realised who had made the breakthrough.

"Maybe but don't get so excited about it. Two of Centipede's labs have been destroyed, but they keep popping back up. Now they have at least three of these guys, maybe more," Ward warned seriously.

"Who did they break out?" Skye asked.

"Edison Po, former Marine, expert in tactics and rapid response. He fell off the grid in '08, reappeared 18 months ago at a diner in Boston. Where he stabbed a friend's eyes out. With a steak knife, then finished his meal," Coulson answered, bringing up the file and there were a few winces at the crime scene photos. What would cause a soldier to crack like that and attack a friend?

"That's funny. Po doesn't look crazy," Skye offered and then his picture came up. "I'm kidding. The guy is a walking mug shot."

"Which means he shouldn't be too hard to track down. Finding Po and these Centipede soldiers is a top priority for S.H.I.E.L.D. We'll be running point, but we won't be working alone," Coulson warned them, knowing his team preferred working alone.

"What team did HQ send for backup?" Ward asked warily.

"Not a team ... two people, someone who can help us fight fire with fire. And someone as distance backup."

"Somebody we worked with before?" May asked, wary of who it may be.

"Yes, and not exactly," Coulson's answer had them all confused and he smirked, knowing it.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"It's not good. At all. The guy was a ticking time bomb ... literally," Ward complained as he stood against the rail, looking down at the loading area of the Bus.

"HQ wouldn't have sent him if he was still combustible. They must have found a way to stabilize him somehow," Jemma assured him.

"They stabilize his attitude? 'Cause he was pretty hostile in Union Station," Ward grumbled.

"Well, it's not like we haven't opened up our doors to other people ... people with questionable track records," Jemma winced as Sky joined them, but the hacker grinned.

"Not cool, but true. And don't worry about Mike. He's a good guy," Skye grinned, she'd liked Mike from the start and wished she could have done more for him.

"Who's been in the Centipede program," Grant pushed.

"Exactly. He can give us some superpower backup," Skye retorted.

"Yeah. Just saying, this could easily go sideways. I mean, the last time we saw this guy, he was a raging homicidal maniac ... He's standing right behind me, isn't he?" Ward asked as he finally caught on to the expression on Skye's face.

"Mr. Peterson, this is Agent Grant Ward. He's the man who shot you at Union Station," Coulson hid a smirk as he introduced the two men formally.

"Fitz-Simmons designed the weapon he used, and I think you remember" Skye rambled, and Mike chuckled.

"... Kidnap victim. You joined S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"Yeah. Turns out, guys in suits ... not so bad," She grinned, and he nodded.

"Look, I know Union Station could have gone another way. Another team might not have let me out of there alive. I owe you ... all off you. That's bygones and water under a distant bridge far away.," Mike assured them, and the team chuckled.

"How's your son?" Skye asked to break the ice.

"Still with my sister. He thinks I'm working construction, but he's good, happy," Mike shrugged, uncomfortable and not just because of the suit he was wearing.

"Ah, and here is backup number two," Coulson said as a figure in cargo pants and t-shirt with a backpack walked up the ramp. Jemma grinned as she recognised the other Brit.

"Agent Potter!" She greeted happily, and Harry smiled back at her.

"Hi, good to see you all again," Harry greeted as he put his bag down.

"Agent Harry Potter, this is Mike Peterson," Phil introduced the two men calmly, interested to see Harry's reaction.

"Good to meet you," Harry offered his hand and Mike hesitated, surprised, before shaking it.

"Likewise."

"Let's get a move on, we have a job to do," Phil told them, and Ward led the two men to the rooms they would be using for the mission as the ramp was raised

"Ward?" Harry called from his doorway.

"Yeah?" Grant turned back to the other Agent.

"You been okay since Norway?" Harry asked in concern and Ward tensed.

"Fine," he answered stiffly, he hadn't been of course, he'd been dreaming of the well and his family ever since. He was hardly going to truly open up to a man he had met once, especially when he was probably really Shield and not like him.

"You're not the only one to have touched that thing if you need to talk…." Harry shrugged and then ducked into his room when it was obvious the other man wouldn't say anything. There was something about Ward that needed further investigation, when he had the time.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"So, what do we have?" Coulson asked the now expanded team as they once again gathered in the briefing room, it was becoming a snug fit.

"Not much on Po. I checked his previously known addresses and old military contacts... came up empty," Skye answered as she worked on her computer, trying to find something useful.

"We've been looking for where Po might be on the outside. Let's look at his life on the inside ... at the prison. See if that gets us any leads," Harry offered, and Skye nodded.

"Anything on the Centipede soldiers?" Mike asked as he studied the data.

"We found a facial recog match on one of them. Name's Brian Hayward. Stationed in Afghanistan for three years, then fell of the radar when he got back. Only living relative ... sister, Laura, Sophomore at the University of Ohio," Sky pulled up the files for them.

"She's our best shot at finding Hayward. Potter, you and I will go talk to her. Have May set a course for Cleveland," Phil ordered, and they broke up to get ready.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"'Psychology of women: Unravelling the female psyche.' That's an actual book?" Harry asked curiously as he looked at the book in Coulson's car on their way to the University.

"It's a whole course. Hayward's sister's in there now. We'll be at the school in 10, we'll catch her on her way out. Whole class... on women."

"Huh. So, I wasted all those years trying to figure them out?" he could have used the help with Hermione and Ginny at least. He doubted it would help with fangirls.

"Solving the puzzle was half the fun," Phil agreed and then glanced at him before looking back at the road. "You solve a lot of puzzles in your day?"

Harry choked. "Uh…no, actually. Hermione's more like a sister and married to my best mate. His little sister…. Ginny, well I tried but…" he shrugged. "You?"

"A few. Some more worth it than others. One was... especially rewarding," he answered wistfully.

"What happened?" harry asked, genuinely curious, he liked Coulson.

"I died," except he hadn't thanks to the man sitting beside him, he'd kept him alive until the medics had reached them.

"Oh. I guess she wasn't level 7, sir?" That was unreasonable, it was wrong to keep people apart just because one was listed as dead for a little while.

"She was a cellist, second chair, Portland Symphony. Saw her play whenever I was in town. Ever see a beautiful woman play the cello? It's something else. She laughed at my jokes, too, which was a very nice bonus."

Harry felt bad for him, it wasn't fair. "You know where she is now?"

"Of course, I do," Phil answered tightly.

"I'm sorry."

"I was gone for months. The Avengers thought I was dead, so I had to keep that up ... S.H.I.E.L.D. protocol. It's probably better this way."

Harry wouldn't say anything about what he thought of that protocol. It had been so hard not to tell Clint, especially when it was obvious he still grieved for his Handler. "Maybe if she'd been part of the agency?"

"In my experience, that's just asking for trouble," Phil admitted, and Harry nodded. They finally pulled up at the school and Phil pointed out where her class was. "You're up," he said as the class began to empty. "Remember, you're from the lotto, Brian won."

"No problem," Harry muttered, getting out. He glanced over the students and then glanced at the picture. "Laura Hayward?"

She turned to look at him. "That's me."

"Sorry to bother you, But I was hoping you could help me out. I'm looking for you brother, Brian. Have you seen him lately?"

"I'm ... I'm sorry. Who are you?" she asked nervously, and Harry gave his best disarming smile which worked, and she relaxed a bit.

"Ah. Dan Filch, Ohio State gaming commission. We're trying to contact Brian, tell him the good news."

"He won the lottery?" She stared in disbelief and Harry nodded.

"$50,000."

"Really?"

"Mm-hmm." He smiled again, removing his sunglasses. He'd been told many times that girls loved the colour green of his eyes.

"And you're looking for him? Don't you guys want to keep the money?" she asked warily, looking for the scam. He was really cute though.

"Sure, but we have to at least try and contact the winners before the ticket expires. Your brother's does in six days, so if you know where he is ..."

"I don't. Sorry. We're not close. I haven't spoken to him since he got back from Afghanistan," she lied, and Harry knew it.

"Well, now you have a reason to ... 50,000 reasons, actually," they both chuckled. "So, let us know if you hear from him."

"Okay," she agreed, and he walked away to join Coulson in his car.

"Not sure why you wanted to go with the lottery story. It's a tough sell." He'd had to use it a few times in training and it always sucked.

"Exactly. Nothing makes people more suspicious than a handsome man offering them free money. She's making the call now." Coulson looked at his tablet and the call came through.

"Brian, it's me. Some guy was just waiting for me at school, said you won the lottery," she chuckled. "I know, right? We're not that lucky."

The computer beeped, and Harry looked over. "Is he local?"

"No. He's in Oakland, California."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Hayward's cell phone has been traced to an abandoned factory about eight miles from here," Skye told them as they once again gathered, this time Harry, May and Ward were fully decked out for a fight.

"Probably Centipede's new lab," Grant offered.

"Certainly been their M.O... we destroy one factory, they set up another, putting us back to square one. This time, I want answers. Means we go in quiet, do minimal damage to the facility and the people inside. Ward, May, you'll go in through the west entrance. Mr. Peterson and I will enter through the loading dock. Potter I want you on a roof with a clear view. The rest of you will run the back end from outside," Coulson ordered, and Harry nodded with the others, he was sniper support again, hopefully the building had some good windows he could aim through or else he'd have to rely on the infrared scope to shoot through the walls.

"We're doing this just us? We've been playing whack-a-mole with these guys since Ward first picked me out of my van. Shouldn't big S.H.I.E.L.D. be sending in backup?" Skye demanded.

"Trust me, they already did," Phil looked from Mike to Harry. "Let's move."

"No pressure," Skye muttered as they split up to prepare for landing.

,,,,,,,,,,,

"We alone here?" Phil asked as they entered the warehouse, weapons drawn.

"It appears so," Fitz answered over comms as he studied the readouts.

"The only heat signatures I'm reading are yours, windows are clear too," Harry added from his place on a nearby roof, lying prone and staring down the scope of his rifle. The infrared scope was a brilliant invention, made finding a target easier. The team were all wearing bracelets that showed up in his scope, just to make sure he didn't accidentally shoot them since it wasn't like features showed up on the scope.

"But there's a weird electronic signal. I'm trying to isolate it," Fitz added as he worked as quickly as possible.

"Place looks emptied out. Think we're too late?" Ward asked as he and May approached.

"Fitz, dial Hayward's number. Find out," Coulson ordered, and Fitz dialled only for the ringing to be heard.

"You've got company," Harry called as figures appeared in his scope and one window.

"Yeah, we do," he grunted as the first landed a solid hit and went down. "Coming your way." One of the soldiers stumbled as a bullet took him in the leg, through the wall so Potter was doing his job well. Coulson scrambled up to see Mike struggling against two men. "Potter!"

"Can't get a clear shot," Harry answered, trying to isolate a target but the fight was to chaotic, especially without being able to actually see them.

Mike gasped in pain as he was stabbed and went down to his knees. "Usually packs a bigger punch," he groaned as Ward took a shot at one of the soldiers.

"Yeah, I remember," Ward yanked him up and Mike leant against him, gasping for breath.

"What's happening?" Jemma demanded as she watched Mike's vitals on a screen, thanks to his suite. "His systolic and diastolic pressures are dropping. Heart rate's plummeting, as well. Sir, he's in bad shape. Between the physical exertion and this wound, his vitals are dangerously low," she warned even as Coulson approached the only soldier who had gone down, the very person they had been hunting.

"Who's behind Centipede? Who's doing this?!" he demanded.

"I won't say anything. I promise. No! Please! Don't do th..." Hayward begged brokenly.

"Heat build-up! Get clear!" Harry yelled, and Coulson backed off as Hayward's body jolted and one of his eyes self-destructed.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"They want a trade ... Ace for his father. They've set a time and a place," Coulson explained to a silent and angry team. After identifying the prosthetic eye as the same tech as what they had seen before, but this time un-hackable, they'd hit a dead end and Mike had finally given in and called his son…only to find Raina had somehow gotten her hands on the boy even though Shield was supposed to be guarding him and his Aunt. The whole thing was a giant mess.

"Bloody savages. They want to experiment on him, determine how he still has his abilities," Jemma snapped angrily.

"And we're gonna let them? We've fought these guys before," Skye argued.

"We don't have a choice. The instructions they gave Mr. Peterson were very specific. I called HQ, told them to stand down."

"Stand down?" Harry asked in disbelief. Wouldn't more backup be good?

"So, we take them alone. We should at least have a hostage-rescue unit in support of this," Ward agreed.

"They said they would murder my son. If we make one wrong move. Any electronics, any comms, any sign of surveillance and they'll terminate the arrangement. I'll give myself up, no problem, get him back. I can figure it out from there," Mike glared at them, he would not risk his son.

"You're still recovering. We can't just hand you over to them like that, can we?" Jemma looked around at the team's grim faces.

"Fitz-Simmons have a non-electronic method of tracking him. Simmons has fabricated an odourless scent," Coulson told the team coolly.

"I have an instrument which can detect it. Works like a bloodhound, can track someone from over 50 kilometres. After we make the trade, we'll be able to follow Mr. Peterson. Buy him some time to get his strength back. We'll find him," Fitz answered nervously, it hadn't been fully field tested and even if it had there was always a slim chance of failure.

"I don't care what happens to me. As long as my boy is..."

"I promise you, we're gonna get your son back," Coulson swore. The team broke up to prepare, Harry and Ward both checking out sniper gear and exchanging worried looks. They all sat and waited as the Bus landed and then they went to the cars. Harry and Ward took off first to get into position, hopefully long before the bad guys showed up.

"At least let me escort him out for the exchange," May offered as Mike got in the car and Coulson moved to the driver's door.

"Mr. Peterson requested me. I'm comfortable with that, and if things go South, I need you back here, taking point on the team. Are Potter and Ward in position?" Phil asked as he got in.

"Yes. But I don't like any of this," she argued. Potter had the prime sniper spot with Ward at a backup position, she knew the young agent was good, he'd been called in to replace Barton after all, but there was only so much a sniper could do to intervene in a situation, especially if Raina brought a lot of backup.

"There'd be something wrong with you if you did." He started the engine and drove off the to the rendezvous point on the bridge.

"Once the swap happens, I'll fire up my equipment. We'll be able to track you wherever they take you," Fitz reassured the Father from the backseat.

"Just don't do anything that'll endanger my son," Mike warned.

'We won't, but we want to make sure Ace has his dad at the end of the day, too. Time to go. My team won't let you down," Phil promised as he drove. He stopped to let Fitz off and saw May drive up with Skye and Simmons.

Harry lay on the rooftop, scanning the bridge, he didn't like this at all. Something was very wrong, but he wasn't sure what. They had to maintain comm silence too to remain hidden, but he would like to check with the others. Something was bugging him…. about how Peterson had told them of the trade offer. It made sense they would want him back but…it just didn't feel right.

"It wasn't supposed to go down like this. I'm gonna make this right, I swear. Damn it," Mike whispered as Raina and several soldiers approached from a parked van.

"Hello, Mike. It's been awhile. Your son is adorable, and he looks just like you. I have to thank you, Mike, for holding up your end of the deal," she smiled happily as she watched the two men move closer.

"Let's just make the trade. Give us Ace, and you can have him," Phil offered, he had that funny feeling of being under focus that came with knowing you were in a sniper's sights, he just hoped it was Harry and not someone else.

"Oh, that wasn't the deal. I'm so sorry," She smiled happily, dressed in her customary flower dress despite the cooler night air.

"Let me know when I can activate comms and the tracker," Skye muttered to May who was watching through binoculars and frowning.

On his rooftop Harry frowned, glad he could lip read…he'd been right though. So, what was the deal? There were four men with her, not odds he liked even with Ward to back him up.

"What's happening here, Mike?" Phil demanded, shifting away to be able to see everyone.

"Well, in exchange for his son, we asked Mike to deliver you," she smiled and then grunted as Mike grabbed her by the throat. The soldiers tensed but did nothing else.

"I'm not at full strength, but I can still crush your throat. New deal! My son for your life!" Mike snarled angrily, feeling his wounds pull but ignoring the pain.

"Sadly, my employer cares no more for my life than your son's. If I die, so does he, and his death will be so much worse," Raina held onto his wrist, feet barely scraping the ground as she smiled at Mike, staying calm.

"You need to let her go," Phil called.

"I told them they could have me. But they want you. Why do they want you?" Mike demanded.

"I don't know, but if you kill this woman, you'll never see your son again," Phil argued, he had every confidence his team would succeed in a rescue even if he did have to trade himself.

"But how will I look him in the eye? How will I explain what I did?"

"We talked about this," Phil told him.

"I'm so sorry," he sighed and released her. "Let's finish this."

"Dad!" Ace ran from the van to his Father who hugged him even as the soldiers converged on Phil.

"There's his son," Sky announced happily.

"Oh, thank god. I have no stomach for this. On my mark, activate comms and tracker." Jemma told Fitz.

Harry hesitated but then activated his comm, they had to know. "It's a trap, they want Coulson." He then moved, using magic since no one could see him, moving positions in case they could track his signal.

"If there had been any other way..." Mike offered, and Phil nodded.

"You made the only choice you had," he gasped and then slumped as the sedative took effect.

"What happened?" Ward snapped.

"They've got Coulson," Harry answered. "I have a shot."

"Do not engage. They'll kill Coulson. Stand down. I'll contact HQ," May ordered and Harry swore but obeyed. He did toss a tracker at the Agent though.

"You okay?" Mike asked as he pulled Ace away.

"I'm fine, Dad."

"S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ, this is S.H.I.E.L.D. RG422. We need immediate satellite support," May called.

"Ace, I've got to make something right. Daddy loves you so much, okay? Stay with Skye. You remember Skye, right?" he smiled at his son and then looked to the hacker. "Keep him safe. Take care of my boy!"

"No!" Ace screamed, and Skye grabbed him as Mike ran towards the soldiers.

"Mike!" Skye yelled.

"Where's Coulson?" Ward called and then had to duck as a chopper came up from behind him, its lights blinding him as he rolled for the edge of the roof, aiming for the fire escape below. The bridge exploded, right where Mike was, leaving Harry with no viable shot to take anyway so he slung his rifle across his back and ran for the stairs.

"Oh, my god. Coulson…Mike…" Skye whispered, holding a crying Ace to her chest to keep him from seeing.

Harry dropped the last few feet to the ground and ran towards the fire, raising an arm to his face to block the heat. He squinted and then sent in a spell. "Peterson's alive!" He yelled. "Get a hose or something!" He used his magic to help the flames disperse quicker and was soon joined by a fire extinguisher totting Ward. May tossed him a hose and then turned it on and they worked to put the fire out, Harry keeping Mike safe with magic.

"Simmons, we need a medical Evac," May called to the scientists. Soon they were back on the Bus, Mike in the lab being treated. They headed straight for the nearest Shield installation to get Mike to better facilities and new orders. As soon as they landed Harry slipped away into his bunk and put Nimue on the job. She was a magical program and she could track magic, especially his, it might take some time though.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Honestly, how many agents do they think they can cram on this plane?" Jemma asked as she watched more agents board. She was worried, the longer it took to find him the smaller his chances of being alive.

"It's only gonna get more crowded. We're set to pick up more men when Agent Hand dumps Vanchat off at the fridge," Ward told her. "Honestly, I think it's good they're here. We need fresh eyes. It's been 36 hours since Agent Coulson was taken, and none of us have gotten any rest."

"Oh, joy. Agent Hand is giving another briefing," Jemma grumbled, and Ward chuckled as they obediently went to the briefing.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Just in time. Can you override this?" Skye asked as the agents swarmed her bunk.

"What do you think you're doing?" Hand demanded angrily, not liking the interruption. She was the Agent in charge now and things would be done her way or not at all.

"The money trail's our key to finding Coulson. I just need to gain access to Vanchat's financials, and from there, I should be able to trace Centipede's payments and then hack into their account," Skye explained.

"You're the consultant ... the one who shot Agent Sitwell."

"Technically, that wasn't me ..." she argued, Jemma had shot him, she'd just been the voice on her comm.

"I want you off this plane immediately," Hand demanded, and Skye blinked.

"What? Wait. I know I'm not some badass field agent like May or Ward, but this is what I do. You can't just kick me off this mission. Listen, I will do whatever you say. All this protocol crap doesn't matter to me. All that matters to me is Coulson," Skye pleaded.

"Well, 'all this protocol crap' matters to me. You're a distraction, and you're gone."

"Agent Hand, I know Skye's methods are unorthodox, but she's a member of this team. She can help," Ward stood up for her.

"Agent May, your professional opinion ... Will this girl be of any use to us on this plane?"

May stared at Skye who pleaded silently. "No."

"Increase her restriction level. Confiscate her laptop and phone, then have her delivered to debrief…" she trailed off as the laptop started beeping and Skye scrambled to read the results.

"We've got them!" She grinned. "Money tracks…an old bomb testing ground in the Mojave Desert."

Hand blinked at the grinning hacker. "We're supposed to take your word for it."

"I would, she's motivated to find Agent Coulson," Harry offered from down the hall, he knew Nimue had been the one to send the info to Skye's laptop, just in time too.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"So, this person you work for told you I died and have gaps in my memory. Ever think your mind reader might just be looking up symptoms online?" Phil demanded, head throbbing from the machine. He didn't have gaps and he hadn't died, thanks to quick first aid by Potter.

"I was also told it keeps you up at night, that you crave answers, that you're troubled by the fact that when you asked for answers, you were denied. Isn't that true?" Rania asked curiously.

"I trust the system. They keep secrets for a reason," he answered, he didn't know where she had gotten her information, but it was faulty, another hint that the Clairvoyant wasn't actually able to see things.

"But why would S.H.I.E.L.D. keep details of your death from you? They're your family ... Your only family since you've lost your mother, too. Now, after all you've sacrificed..."

"Sacrifice is part of the job. I would give my life ..." he cut her off and she returned the favour.

"You didn't just give your life, you gave up your chance at a normal one, at love. And she did love you, Agent Coulson."

"How could you know that?" No, she was safe, Fury and Hill had sworn it.

"Do you miss her? Dinners at the Richmond. Do you miss hearing her play? You didn't even have a chance to say goodbye."

"I-I couldn't. I-I can't," he choked out, fighting to focus.

"She cried for days after S.H.I.E.L.D. told her you died. They shattered her heart with a lie, and now they're lying to you."

"No. No, they're not," he denied. He'd seen the medical reports, the staff had missed his heart by millimetres and the surgery had been very high risk, but there were no secrets.

"I know you don't want to believe it, but you can't tell me nothing makes you doubt, makes you wonder what happened in Tahiti."

Tahiti? What the hell? He'd never been to Tahiti… "Sorry, wrong guy. I've never been to Tahiti." That answer seemed to shock her before she turned the machine on again.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"The Centipede soldiers each have a port on their delivery device to inject refills of serum. But with this injector cuff, we can use the port to our advantage. By injecting a refined dose of dendrotoxin to incapacitate the soldier," Simmons explained to the agents as she applied the finishing touches to the devices in her lab.

"How does it work?" Harry asked as he studied one of the devices on the lab table.

"Oh, just simply lock it around the Centipede soldier's forearm. And night-night, superpowers." Jemma smiled, and Harry sighed.

Ward snorted, "Sounds like riding a bull for eight seconds."

"Yeah, exactly. It's that simple. Yeah."

"Great, we are going to end up in the hospital," Harry grinned, and Ward chuckled but they each took two.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

They headed into the desert, leaving the trucks at a distance before working their way in on foot. Hand hadn't been happy following 'Skye's' lead but it had been solid. Three raids were taking place simultaneously, the one here and then two labs Skye had also dug up.

Harry stayed low as he moved from wreck to wreck, thankful for the lack of surveillance which meant he could be a bit freer with his magic use.

"Soldiers!" Ward called as he dodged a blow that came out of nowhere. They circled, mock attacking a few times before the soldier moved in for the kill. Thankfully May distracted him by opening fire from a fair distance off and Ward slammed the cuff around his arm, watching as he went down. "One down."

"Two down," Harry panted over the comm, magic sizzling in the air but his soldier was down for the count too. Still not as bad as fighting a basilisk but they were tough, even against magic.

"I'm in," Skye called as she entered what seemed to be the main building, having slipped around the fights.

"Wait for backup!" Ward hissed at her over comms, but she ignored him.

She opened the door, saw Raina and shot three shots from the night-night gun, taking her down. She moved to the machine and pulled Coulson free. "Coulson…Coulson…" she shook him, and he gasped, eyes opening.

"Skye," he groaned as he focused on the face leaning over him.

"I've got him," she called and then hugged him, and Phil hugged her back.

Harry walked in and grinned before moving to secure Raina. "Good to see you again."

"Skye, I need to talk with Agent Potter for a moment."

"Okay…"

She left, and Phil looked at Harry's comm, so he switched it off. "Sir?"

"The machine helps memory. I know how badly and where Loki hit me, I shouldn't have survived, I now remember the medics saying the same thing. What did you do?"

"I did what I was taught, talk to the patient and apply pressure to reduce blood loss."

"You are the only other factor…"

"Except the staff. That thing pulled off mind control and then you had it shoved through your chest, who knows what that could have done."

Phil frowned….it was possible…. but something told him it wasn't. He stared Potter down, but he didn't flinch, could he be gifted? But then he'd be on the Index. Phil nodded, dropping it for now.

"Lets' get you home," Harry offered him a shoulder to lean on as they made their way out and back to the trucks.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Just got off the phone with headquarters. Director Fury was very relieved. I understand you've been busy. Heard you put some miles on my plane," Phil looked at Victoria, he was feeling a lot better after some sleep and a good meal, curtesy of Harry's cooking

"The manhunt has yielded some impressive results. Centipede operations have been taken down around the globe," Victoria stated proudly.

"Any word on the Clairvoyant?" he asked as he moved to watch her men pack up their gear.

"Nothing yet, but it's gonna be awfully hard to stay hidden now that the Clairvoyant's on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar."

"Good, because Raina knew things about me ... personal things. I want to know how." Even if some of the information had been incorrect.

"My men and I are taking her straight to headquarters for questioning. We'll be in touch."

"Agent Hand? Thank you... for everything."

"Good to have you back. Honestly, this bus isn't really my style," she left him alone in the room and he headed for his office to find Skye waiting a she had asked. "I just want to say... thank you."

"Now get back to work?" she smiled, a little shaky after nearly being kicked off by Hand.

"I heard what you did for me. I think it's time... that we remove this," he picked up her hand to reveal the tracking bracelet. "Disengage bracelet." The bracelet beeped and slipped off her wrist.

"Are you kidding me?" Skye stared at her bare wrist in shock.

"Thought you'd like that," he smirked at her.

"Thank you…are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, headache's gone. I don't know what they were looking for, but it's not something I know."

"Oh, well take it easy," she left the office to follow her own advice.

A few seconds later there was a knock and it opened to reveal Harry Potter. "Got a minute?"

"Of course. Thank you for staying with the team."

"And saving you again?" Harry teased. "Agent Hill okayed my staying thankfully. I'm glad you're okay. Try to stay out of trouble? It's hard enough lying to Clint when he pops up for sniper competitions as it is."

"How is he?" Phil asked, he could read reports but that wasn't the same.

Harry sighed and slumped in a chair. "Honestly? I'd like to shoot half the agents in DC for how they treat him. They shy away, whisper… he was cleared, and it was announced he was being controlled, it's not like he killed anyone, but they are treating him like a pariah."

"I was afraid of that. You're friends?"

"I guess? I know it wasn't his fault and the competitions are fun."

Phil nodded, "thank you."

Harry shrugged and stood. "I have no doubt I'll see you again with this Clairvoyance hunt. Oh, is Peterson going to be okay?"

"He's been transferred to a private hospital under guard for his safety, agents I trust. There are a lot of burns and he lost part of one leg. We'll have to wait and see. Stay safe," Phil offered as the young Agent left his office and then the Bus.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Nimue would frown is she had a face, she did not like what she had finally decoded hidden deep in Grant Ward's file. She flagged it for her Creator's immediate attention once he was alone and then began digging into John Garrett.

TBC…


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: still not mine_

 _for anyone following and here we remain, there is a new poll up over whether or not to include the_ _men, please vote, right now its a tie which isn't very helpful._

 **Chapter 6**

Harry slipped into the building, moving silently and unseen. There was a definite advantage to working solo, he could use a bit of magic to make his job easier. His handler was in contact via comms, too far away to have a visual which meant he could be invisible. He made it into the main office and quickly copied the files he had been sent for before leaving and heading for the pick-up point. He got on the jet and strapped in as it took off, the USB drive safely secured in his jacket. He removed his comm device from his ear and handed it over before relaxing for the flight back to base.

Working alone might be easier but it was lonely. He missed Coulson and his team, he hadn't heard anything from them in the weeks since the mess with the Berserker staff. He was worried about Ward, especially after reading the information Nimue had found. He'd been recruited to Shield by one John Garrett, who had raised some red flags. It was nothing obvious but Nimue was beginning to learn to look beyond the data and make conclusions. Ward had vanished from all records for several years disappearing from Juvie, during that time Garrett had vanished a handful of times. He'd been awaiting trial for arson and attempted murder with his own brother pushing for him to be tried as an adult. Garrett was a well-respected Agent, was a friend of Coulson's…but something about him stank. Without Ward willingly contacting him though there wasn't much he could do but ensure Nimue kept an eye on things, especially the Bus.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry groaned and blindly reached for his phone, it better be an emergency! "Yes?"

"Harry…. it's Grant Ward," the shaky voice had him sitting up and switching the lamp on, seeing the clock that stated it was 2:13am. He'd only gotten home at 12.

"Grant, what's wrong?" he got up and grabbed his jeans, pulling them on one-handed.

"It's Skye…she's been shot."

That explained the shakiness, he'd been able to see the attraction between the two the first time he'd met them. "Where are you?"

"The S.H.I.E.L.D. Trauma Zentrum in Switzerland. They're saying she won't make it, I…"

"I'm on my way," Harry promised as he went and opened a hidden compartment where a magical healing kit resided. He hung up and pulled on a shirt before shoving his feet in his boots and putting his jacket on, slipping the kits strap across his chest. He knew there was no time to waste and so apparated, contacting Nimue on his phone so that she could handle any electronic surveillance in the trauma centre. He appeared outside the centre and waited for Nimue to signal the all clear to enter. How he was going to explain his quick presence and her recovery…he hated memory charms, but they would be necessary.

He walked into the building and up to the desk where a young man sat. "May I help you?"

Harry held out his Shield badge. "I'm looking for a patient, Skye. She was brought in earlier with gunshot injuries."

He typed at his computer for a few moments. "Level 3, ICU ward. She's listed as family only Sir."

"That's alright, it's her team I'm really looking for and they're her only family," Harry assured him, and he was allowed passed. Even Shield facilities had the horrible elevator music. He walked to the waiting room for the ICU and found Ward, Fitz and Simmons, Ward the only one awake.

Ward blinked, he didn't know why he had called the other Agent, but he had come, just like he had said he would, only John had done that for him before. He stood and joined him in the hallway, not wanting to wake the sleeping pair. They had been working so hard to keep Skye alive, they needed and deserved the rest. "Harry."

"Grant, how is she?"

"Doctor said the bullets tore up her internal organs, there's nothing they can do. Only reason she's alive is the life support and they said we have to decide when…" Grant took a deep breath, drawing on his training to regain his calm. He wasn't meant to be attached to the team, they were his mission, that was all. But he'd broken the rules Garrett had taught him and gotten close, especially to Skye and now she was paying for it. He knew he was why she had been shot, this was his punishment.

"How'd she get shot? I didn't think she worked the field yet?"

"Mission went south, and she confronted the suspect without backup. She was outnumbered, and the bastard shot her, leaving her there to die slowly." He couldn't disclose mission details to someone who hadn't been involved, even someone they had worked with before. "Coulson and May went back to the Bus, they're trying to find something to help…"

"And you need sleep," Harry finished for him, gently pushing him back into the waiting room, weaving a subtle sleeping spell around the other man, who began to relax as they walked, yawning, eyes heavy. "I'll keep watch, sleep Grant."

"S'my fault..." he mumbled, tongue loosened by the spell.

"You weren't there Grant, there was nothing you could do," he soothed as he helped the man lay out on the couch. He pulled a blanket from his bag and settled it around him and Grant curled up, barely keeping his eyes open.

"Puni'ment, too close…" he didn't finish as the spell pulled him under and Harry frowned. Skye had been shot to punish Grant? Was that just guilt for not being there talking? Or something a lot more sinister? He had to leave it for now, Skye needed help fast.

He slipped into the room and quickly warded it to keep anyone else out until he was done and then he really looked at the bed and felt sick at seeing her lying there, as pale as a ghost with a million wires and tubes attached, machines beeping away. He was not a Healer, but the Agency made sure all Agents could handle their own wounds in the field if necessary, including the damage from bullets. He used the diagnostic spell to get a better idea of the damage and shuddered, it was a good thing she was out because she would be in agony. He spelled a blood replenisher into her stomach to help the blood transfusion she'd already received. He then went to work removing the bullet fragments the surgeons had either missed or couldn't remove without doing more damage. He had to be careful, she couldn't have a miraculous recovery or too many questions would be raised. Magic slowly knit organs back together to the point where she would live, although with a longish recovery period. He made it look like the damage had appeared worse than it was and then altered her chart to reflect that while Nimue altered the computer records.

He left her room, invisible, and went to work on the staff's memories. He hated messing with minds but in this case, it was necessary. He looked into the waiting room and found Coulson and May had returned so he put them all to sleep before altering their memories as well. He then sat beside Grant and hesitated, Ward's sleepy words plus Nimue's digging had him very concerned, enough to ignore his distaste for mind magics. What he found sickened and enraged him. He had been broken and moulded, first by his family who were far worse than the Dursley's, and then by John Garrett. That man was a cold-blooded monster, he had taken an emotionally vulnerable teenager and moulded him into a totally loyal killer. But Garrett had begun losing control, thanks to Coulson's team. He was beginning to feel attached to them, protective of the scientists and his attraction to Skye was deepening into what could be love…if he was able to recognise it as such.

The question now was, what to do about this? He couldn't just erase his memories of his horrible past, it would change him too much and be discovered as soon as Garrett contacted him. There was a part of Grant that wanted to be a good person, to not be Garrett's puppet so Harry gently strengthened that part of him, the part that questioned Hydra and Garrett's beliefs. Hydra… Captain Rogers would not be happy to know they still existed, and inside Shield. That was something he would need to set Nimue on, he would gather the data and then what? Who knew how many agencies world-wide Hydra had infiltrated, it was possible his own Agency was compromised. Who could he give the data to? The Captain was an obvious choice, Coulson another. But one was 'dead' and the other not high enough to do much with the information. That would have to wait, for now he nudged at Grant's subconscious, making him accept that what had been done to him was wrong and that he could tell someone, maybe Coulson. He hadn't really changed Grant's personality, that would be far too large a violation, he had simply pulled forward the parts of him that hadn't been destroyed, just hidden deeply, and wanted to be a good person. Harry then removed the memory of his being there since there was no way he could have gotten there from DC so quick. He then moved to Coulson and nudged him to take more interest in Grant, to be willing to help and listen.

All done he apparated home and collected the ticket Nimue had electronically bought him for Switzerland while filling out the emergency leave paperwork, they should be happy he was finally using some of his accumulated time off. He grabbed his bag that was always packed for emergencies and headed downstairs for the taxi to the airport.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Grant sat on the half comfortable couch in the family waiting room, the doctor leaving them alone to accept the news. They had made a mistake… Skye wasn't going to die. The damage had looked worse than it was, it had torn up soft tissue and muscle and made a mess, but her organs were intact, she had a long, painful recovery ahead, but she would live, no thanks to him. He knew she'd been shot as a warning, obviously John had found out he was her S.O., that they spent a lot of time together… but it wasn't a worry…was it? There was something about her, something that made him want to be the man she thought he was. He glanced over at where Coulson was talking to May, if not for Harry's presence and offer he would have pursued her that night, she was the biggest threat to his cover and sex was a good method to lower that threat. He closed his eyes, seeing Skye lying there, covered in blood and barely breathing, would John stop with just the one warning? He suspected there was another reason to her shooting, it was obvious Coulson had a soft spot for her and would do anything to save her if she was dying…like track down whatever it was that had resurrected him. He had denied that happened, said he hadn't flatlined even once after Loki attacked him, but John didn't believe it, couldn't afford too. His time was running out and this had been meant to make Coulson find whatever it as so John could take it and save himself.

He looked up again as the door opened and a rather rumpled Harry Potter walked in, bag over a shoulder. Grant was shocked, he had really come… he still didn't know why he had called the other Agent, other than how he had listened that night after the mess with the Staff. Looking him over it was obvious the other man had just gotten off mission and yet he had answered his call at… around 2am before getting on a plane to join them. Grant stood as Harry walked over to him, only to be pushed back onto the couch.

"Have you slept?" Harry asked, and Grant managed a small smile.

"Yes. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have called."

"Nonsense," Harry shook his head and looked around, taking in their expressions. "You've had an update?"

"She's going to live," Coulson answered as he and May joined them. "Agent Potter," he offered his hand and Harry shook it.

"Just Harry at the moment, I'm on emergency leave."

"Oh, what happened?" Coulson asked, and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Someone shot Skye and Grant called so here I am. Now the lot of you need sleep in a bed, showers and hot food. Two at a time if you want but so help me I will knock you out and carry you if you argue," he warned them all and that actually got a smirk out of Coulson.

"Very well, Harry. FitzSimmons, go," he ordered, and they went to argue but then left, taking Harry's threat seriously.

He spent the next three days ensuring the team looked after themselves and then the good news was delivered, Skye was awake.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry copied everything onto an encrypted USB stick and then hid it. Nimue had her orders, if anything happened to him she was to share the data with Jarvis and then release it to the public. It was hard to hide if your secrets were there for anyone to see. He couldn't move too soon or let anyone realise he was on to them, who knew the damage Hydra could do if they caught on. This was beyond the Avengers, it needed a lot of people ready to act instantly or there could be a bloodbath. He didn't know enough people he trusted not to be Hydra or even sympathisers. Letting the info out would just cause chaos, so that was a last resort, for now he would keep quiet, keep gathering intel and try to figure a way to stop them.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Director Smith stood at her office window, staring out over London as she pondered her Agent. He was doing better than she had hoped at infiltrating Shield but that did have a downside, everyone who knew of Harry Potter knew how loyal he could be to those he called friend and it was obvious he considered some of the Shield Agents friends. Then again, he had abandoned his old friends and life fairly easily when he had joined the Agency.

The world was changing, gods and aliens were using the planet for their fights, and humanity couldn't keep up. They needed magic and they needed altered humans like Rogers and those on Shield's Index. She knew the Roman-based European style of magic wasn't the only kind out there, but it was finding such people that was near impossible. The MACUSA wanted little to do with its parent nation or the rest of Europe, ever since Grindelwald and his mess in New York. She wasn't sure if they even knew of Harry's presence on their turf and they hadn't managed to rally against the invasion at all. The European magicals needed to wake up and join the rest of the world before there was no world left.

She glanced at the clock and moved to gather her cloak, she had a meeting with Her Majesty to discuss just that.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry laughed as Clint described the reactions of a bunch of businessmen to his falling through the ceiling of their meeting room. They were having lunch together at a family run pizza place close to Clint's hotel since the other sniper was in DC for a few days. Even after all this time other Agents still avoided him as much as possible. It was why Clint spent most of his time with the other Avengers and not at any Shield base.

"Got another mission yet?" Clint asked after a while and Harry shrugged.

"Maybe. Hill just said I'd be based in DC for a while, you?"

"Middle East somewhere, solo mission. Which will be a little odd, I've gotten used to having at least a partner in Nat or working with the team."

"I've worked with a team on and off, but they're an established group and I'm just there to lend a hand so it's not…quite right?"

"Been there, done that," Clint agreed as they finished off the pizza.

"Sure you don't want my spare bedroom?" Harry offered again but Clint waved him off, so Harry headed back to the Triskelion. For now, he was cooling his heels at a desk, but he didn't mind. He'd been out on back to back missions for months, his trip to Switzerland the only break. He'd heard from Grant several times, updating him on Skye's recovery and the man had sounded…. lighter, more human than before. He hoped that meant he had come clean to Coulson and they were working on it. If they were they were keeping it off the Bus's computers since Nimue hadn't seen anything.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Ma'am," Harry greeted respectfully as he entered Hill's office, seeing another man there as well.

"Agent Potter, this is Brock Rumlow, leader of STRIKE. You are being temporarily assigned to the team as they're down a man," Hill explained, she didn't think Potter was a good match to the team, not because he lacked skills but because of personality. There were others who could have been placed on the team, they didn't need the second-best sniper for their missions, but these orders had come from higher up, and not from Fury. She watched the two men shake hands and felt a sense of foreboding at the sight.

Harry followed Rumlow to where the rest of the team was gathered and was introduced to them before they went to work on some team exercises so that he would know how to work with them. Strike were some of the best in Shield…next to the Avengers although technically the Avengers weren't Shield, they just had two Agents as members plus the Captain. It didn't take long to work out the team didn't want him there but that was okay, he didn't want to be there either. He was pretty sure he was dealing with Hydra sleepers and that was not good. He'd do his job and watch his back while also watching them for anything he could use.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry rolled over and grabbed his buzzing phone, reading the message before getting up and dressing in mission blacks and heading out for the Triskelion to meet the team. He was the second last to enter the room with the rest of Strike to grab weapons and mission-specific gear. After two months with them they had found a way to work together, he just wished the guy he had replaced would hurry up and get better, he had been shot multiple times though. The team moved out for a Quinjet and Harry spotted a flash of red hair and a familiar shield.

He boarded last and heard Rogers greeting the others and then Steve saw him and grinned.

"Harry! When did you join Strike?"

"I haven't, just the fill in for Mitchells," Harry answered as he took his place.

"Well it's good to see you again."

"Likewise," he grinned and then nodded respectfully to Romanoff who stared at him before finally returning the greeting. She was one very scary woman.

Natasha kept an eye on Potter as the jet took off, he kept popping up whenever trouble hit. The Helicarrier, London and the mess with Thor…now here. Clint liked him, they tended to meet up for friendly competitions when in the same city or to grab a meal. He was one of the very few Agents to not blame Clint for what had happened, despite the fact that Clint hadn't actually killed any of their own while under control. He'd killed the guards in Germany, Loki's brutal eye removal had killed that man as well. But on the Helicarrier Clint had taken the back routes, keeping away from anyone he may have had to kill until he had shorted out the systems and then she had confronted him and freed him. His 'men' had killed very few Agents either. For his sake she knew she needed to work on her attitude towards Potter, he'd been brought in to replace Clint on the Avengers and she knew that was colouring her attitude towards him. She would do better.

TBC….


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: not mine_

 _I sent this to the beta over a week ago but no word since so I've decided to post this un-betaed._

 **Chapter 7**

Phil sat back in his chair as Grant shut the door behind him, watching his Specialist leave, except he wasn't his Specialist…or maybe he was now. He didn't want to believe the younger Agent and yet…it made a sick kind of sense. But who could he warn? Fury hadn't been answering much lately, he could probably call Hill, but this was not information he wanted to get out, they would need to meet in person and she was in DC. It was horrible, not knowing who to trust.

He'd confined Ward to his room for now, but he didn't know what to do with him, his loyalty seemed to have shifted to the team, but would it change back?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"The target is a mobile satellite launch platform: The Lemurian Star. It was sending up their last payload when pirates took them, ninety-three minutes ago," Brock explained as they gathered around.

"Any demands?" Steve asked as he adjusted his gear.

"A billion and a half." Brock answered.

"Why so steep?"

"Because it SHIELD's," Natasha scoffed, no other reason was needed.

"So, it's not off course, it's trespassing."

"I'm sure they have a good reason." Natasha offered with a smile.

"You know, I'm getting a little tired of being Fury's janitor." Steve settled his shield into place.

"Relax, it's not that complicated," she checked her bites.

"How many pirates?" Steve looked back at Strike.

"Twenty-five, top mercs, led by this guy. Georges Batroc," he showed them a photo of Batroc on the monitor. "Ex-TGSE, Action Division. He's at the top of Interpol's "red notice". Before the French demobilized him, he had thirty-six kill missions. This guy's got a rep for maximum casualties."

"Hostages?"

"Uh...mostly techs. One officer, Jasper Sitwell." He pulled up Sitwell's photo on the monitor. "They're in the galley."

"What's Sitwell doing on a launch ship?" Steve asked in confusion before shaking his head. "Alright, I'm gonna sweep the deck and find Batroc. Nat, you'll kill the engines and wait for instructions. Rumlow, you sweep aft, find the hostages, get them to life pods. get 'em out. Let's go."

"STRIKE, you heard the Captain. Gear up!" Brock yelled and they all began prepping their parachutes and weapons. Steve glanced over Harry who looked up and grinned at him before finishing settling his parachute. Harry was a little frustrated since unfortunately, it didn't look like the sort of mission where he'd be able to get the Captain alone to speak to him, even if he wasn't his first choice to hand the data off to.

Steve spoke into his radio, "Secure channel seven."

"Seven secure," Natasha answered. "You do anything fun Saturday night?"

"Well, all the guys from my barbershop quartet are dead, so... No, not really." He secured his helmet.

"Coming up by the drop zone, Cap," Brock warned.

"You know, if you ask Kristen out, from Statistics, she'll probably say yes," Natasha smiled, and Steve shook his head.

"That's why I don't ask," Steve answered as he opened the back of the plane.

"Too shy or too scared?" she taunted.

"Too busy!" Steve jumped out of the jet.

"Was he wearing a parachute?" Harry asked in shock as he stared down at the water, seeing the splash even through the waves.

Brock smiled. "No. No, he wasn't."

Harry just shook his head before waiting for his turn to jump. Not even he was that crazy, well…. maybe. he knew he could make that jump thanks to magic. Steve might be a super soldier, but he was still human, that had to feel like hitting concrete from this distance. Harry jumped, pulling his chute and coasting down onto the deck. He removed the pack and then joined the others in going over the side of the ship on ropes, walking down the hull to find the galley and got ready to shoot. He spotted Sitwell when he glimpsed in and Sitwell spotted him, so he was now aware help had arrived. When the order came he swung across the window and took his shot.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"You just can't stop yourself from lying, can you?" Steve asked as he stormed into the office.

"I didn't lie. Agent Romanoff had a different mission than yours," Fury answered as he sat back, turning off the screen.

"Which you didn't feel obliged to share." Steve stood in front of the desk, arms crossed as he glared. Most would cower from Captain America looking like that, but Fury was one of the few who didn't.

 _Harry leant back in his chair, listening to the two argue via the bug he'd managed to hit Steve with on their way back to the States. Steve had higher clearance than he did after all, although he did still bad about doing it._

"I'm not obliged to do anything," Fury answered as he stood, and Steve ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

"Those hostages could've died, Nick," he argued.

"I sent the greatest soldier in history to make sure that didn't happen."

"Soldiers trust each other, that's what makes it an army. Not a bunch of guys running around and shooting guns." Steve paced restlessly.

"The last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye. Look, I didn't want you doing anything you weren't comfortable with. Agent Romanoff is comfortable with everything," Fury explained.

"I can't lead a mission when the people I'm leading have missions of their own."

"It's called compartmentalization. Nobody spills the secrets because nobody knows them all."

"Except you," Steve snorted in disgust and Nick shook his head.

"You're wrong about me. I do share. I'm nice like that." He led him to the elevator and Steve followed him in. "Insight bay."

"Captain Rogers does not have clearance for Project Insight," the computer stated.

"Director override, Fury, Nicholas J."

 _Harry smirked, and now he had Fury's vocal override, wonderful. Nimue had made a recording of it and was already slipping into the few systems she hadn't been able to access before._

"Confirmed." the elevator started moving down.

"You know, they used to play music," Steve commented, looking out at the view.

"Yeah. My grandfather operated one of these things for forty years. My granddad worked in a nice building, he got good tips. He'd walk home every night, roll of ones stuffed in his lunch bag. He'd say "hi", people would say hi back. Time went on, neighbourhood got rougher. He'd say "Hi", they'd say, "Keep on steppin'." Granddad got to grippin' that lunch bag a little tighter."

"Did he ever get mugged?" Steve asked, genuinely curious.

"Every week some punk would say, "What's in the bag?" Fury smirked slightly.

"Well, what did he do?"

"He'd show 'em. A bunch of crumpled ones and loaded 0.22 Magnum," Fury smiled. "Granddad loved people. But he didn't trust them very much." They went below the river and Steve stared in shock at the giant Helicarriers. "Yeah, I know. They're a little bit bigger than a 0.22." They got off and he showed Steve around the massive hanger. "This is Project Insight. Three next generation Helicarriers synced to a network of targeting satellites."

"Launched from the Lemurian Star," Steve said as it clicked, and Fury nodded.

"Once we get them in the air they never need to come down. Continuous suborbital flight courtesy of our new repulsor engines."

"Stark?"

"Well, he had a few suggestions once he got an up-close look at our old turbines. These new long-range precision guns can eliminate a thousand hostiles a minute. The satellites can read a terrorist's DNA before he steps outside his spider hole. We gonna neutralize a lot of threats before they even happen," Fury was proud of their work.

 _Harry felt sick as he listened, glad he was recording every word and encrypting it to send off to MI7. What gave SHIELD the right to do this? The rest of the world would never stand for it. And yet the World Security Council had obviously signed off on it, then again, they had tried to nuke New York so their judgement was suspect._

"I thought the punishment usually came after the crime."

"We can't afford to wait that long."

"Who's "we"?" Steve demanded, getting angry at seeing what Shield was doing.

"After New York, I convinced the World Security Council we needed a quantum surge in threat analysis. For once we're way ahead of the curve," Fury was proud of Insight, it was the next step in protecting the world.

"By holding a gun at everyone on Earth and calling it protection."

"You know, I read those SSR files. Greatest generation? You guys did some nasty stuff."

"Yeah, we compromised. Sometimes in ways that made us not sleep so well. But we did it, so the people could be free. This isn't freedom, this is fear," Steve snapped at him and Harry cheered him on.

"SHIELD takes the world as it is, not as we'd like it to be. It's getting damn near past time for you to get with that program, Cap."

"Don't hold your breath." He stalked off, needing to get out and clear his head.

Harry shut it down and slumped, looked like things were just as bad, if not worse than Smith and the Queen thought. He hesitated and then sent the file hoping Nimue could keep it from anyone and anything else.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Smith listened to the file Potter had sent and went pale in shock before forwarding it to the Queen and Prime Minister. This was more than she had ever expected Harry to find, he was doing very well. It appeared his time with Shield was soon going to end though, he would have to stop this project and she doubted he could do it without being detected.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"You should be proud of yourself, Peggy," Steve murmured as he stared at her photos and she smiled sadly.

"Mm. I have lived a life. My only regret is that you didn't get to live yours." Steve looked sad and she took his hand. "What is it?"

"For as long as I can remember I just wanted to do what was right. I guess I'm not quite sure what that is anymore. And I thought I could throw myself back in and follow orders, serve. It's just not the same," he admitted, and she took his hand.

Peggy chuckled, "You're always so dramatic. Look, you saved the world. We rather...mucked it up."

"You didn't. Knowing that you helped found SHIELD is half the reason I stay."

"The world has changed and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes the best that we can do is to start over." Peggy started to cough, Steve turned to get her some water and went to hand it to her.

"Peggy."

Suddenly Peggy looked at Steve like she was seeing him for the first time since he was frozen. "Steve?"

"Yeah."

"You're alive! You...you came, you came back." She stared at him in awe and he bravely managed a smile for her.

"Yeah, Peggy."

Peggy began to cry. "It's been so long. So long."

"Well, I couldn't leave my best girl. Not when she owes me a dance." He hated it when this happened, most of the time she was so strong and then her memory would waver, and she would forget. He stayed for a while longer before leaving, he should get back to DC.

 _Harry heard it all and swallowed, feeling utterly devastated for Steve. He cut the magic to the spell bugging Steve, he deserved his privacy, he should never have overheard that conversation._

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Drop the weapon!" Coulson snapped at his friend, shocked by her betrayal. After learning from Ward…well he was getting sick of being betrayed.

"Coulson – "May tried.

"Drop the damn weapon and kick it over to the stairs, May, now!" he snapped, and she closed her eyes, sighing, but she slowly lowered the gun to the floor and kicked it away. "Now back the hell up! Over there!" He pointed her over closer to Skye as Skye walked a little closer to May, still pointing her gun at her, moving slow because she was still healing. Coulson moved down the stairs, picking up the gun and walked closer to May. Fitz was still safely closed up inside the lab behind Coulson and Skye. "Talk. Tell us where you rerouted the plane."

"I didn't set this new course. I swear!"

"Don't lie to me!"

"Yeah, well, the plane just turned around, for God's sake!" Fitz called from the safety of the lab.

"How is this happening, then?" Skye felt lost, the team had become the family she'd never had, the idea that May had betrayed them…

"H.Q. can override automated control of the avionics, take us anywhere they want. Let me check the instrument panel, and I'll be able to –" May offered and Fitz cut her off.

"No way!"

"You're not going anywhere until you explain what –"

"It's not me!"

"Why did you have an encrypted hard line?" they had a mole aboard, it wasn't Ward, well not anymore. If it wasn't May then who? Or was Garrett still using Ward's intel?

"And try to shoot me when we found it?" Fitz was holding a grudge.

"Let's take a breath, huh?" May looked at the weapons pointed at her, she could take them, especially Skye, but she didn't want to fight.

Coulson stalked closer to May, anger filling him, as he pointed the gun higher to her face. "Let's not!"

May was rattled by his reaction. "It was a dedicated channel…to Director Fury. That's the truth," she finally admitted.

"Director Fury? I haven't been able to get him on the line for weeks."

"You were reporting to him?" Skye's gun lowered slightly.

"That's all I can tell you."

"Oh, just come out with it!"

"That's all you can tell us?!" Coulson glared.

"I'm under orders! Fury will tell you."

"What? Was this an order?" Fitz pointed to the broken glass of the lab doors where the I.C.E.R. round hit. "To shoot me in the bloody head?"

"Hold on. We're not headed to Fury anymore," Coulson frowned, who had changed their course, was she right that H.Q. had done it?

"I don't know where we're headed. And I can't get Fury on the line because Fitz cut the line!"

"Skye told me to!"

"Someone was talking to The Clairvoyant, the real Clairvoyant," Skye said when they looked at her, moving to lean against the wall, she still ached, a lot.

"You were in the walls, Fitz. You want to explain why you were tampering with the planes sat cable?" May asked, frowning.

"Sure, because that's relevant! Don't try and turn this around on me!"

Coulson kept his gun pointed at May but turned and looked at Fitz. "Fitz."

Fitz glared at May for a moment before speaking. "I was trying to speak to Simmons at The Hub."

"And you needed an encrypted line? What's so secret that you – "

"Well, you tell me! Simmons and I know you two have been whispering – " He wagged his finger between Coulson and Skye. "Keeping things from us, about the drug that saved your life. Simmons is just trying to figure out how the whole thing works!" Fitz walked away in anger.

"Fitz. Who is she talking to?" May demanded.

Coulson, still keeping his gun on May, walked closer to the lab doors. "Fitz, open the door."

"No way, not until we sort this out. I'm not opening anything."

"Open the door," he ordered as May grimaced as they argued. "We can't get anything sorted until you open the damn door!" Coulson focused on May again. "Skye, get your laptop hooked up to our system. See if you can pull up any S.H.I.E.L.D. communications. I want to know where this plane is headed and why," he hesitated and then sighed. "Get Ward to help, I'll explain later."

"Coulson –" She lifted up a hand pleading and he responded by lifting his gun higher.

"You stay put!"

Skye had lowered her gun and was now standing in front of the closed lab doors, she lifted her arms to Fitz questioning if he was going to open the door. He did, looking like he'd rather have done anything else, and Skye entered.

Coulson turned his head to look at Fitz. "Now tell me who Simmons is talking to. Cause if it isn't someone we trust she's in serious danger."

Skye grabbed her laptop and retreated to the lounge but then went and knocked on Grant's door, wondering why he was in there. The door opened and she almost gasped when she saw him, he looked like he'd barely slept in days. "You're a mess."

"Thanks," Grant answered, unable to look her in the eyes.

"Coulson said you're meant to help with something," she told him, and he nodded, following her to the lounge.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"I don't remember giving you a key," Steve commented as he recognised the form in the chair, flicking the lights on.

"You really think I'd need one? My wife kicked me out." He turned the lights back off.

"Didn't know you were married," Steve admitted, shocked.

"There are a lot of things you don't about me."

"I know, Nick. That's the problem." As he got a bit closer he could make out Fury's injuries which helped explain why he was there. Fury put a finger to his lips and then wrote a message on his phone, 'ears everywhere'. "I'm sorry to have do this, but I had no place else to crash." He wrote another text and showed it to Steve; 'SHIELD compromised'.

"Who else knows about your wife?" He asked, tense as he slipped a hand into his shield again. Fury showed him another text; 'You and me'.

"Just...my friends."

"Is that what we are?"

"That's up to you." Fury stood and then suddenly he was shot three times from through the window and collapsed, Steve looked out the window for the shooter then he quickly dragged Fury to the next room, before he let go Fury handed him the flash drive. "Don't...trust anyone," Fury passed out Steve heard someone breaking into his apartment and then his neighbour calling out to him.

"Captain Rogers?" Sharon called, and Steve saw her walking in with her gun pointed. "Captain, I'm Agent 13 of SHIELD's Special Service."

"Kate?" he asked in confusion.

"I'm assigned to protect you." She put her gun away as she saw him.

"On whose order?" he demanded even as she noticed Fury lying injured on the ground.

"His." She knelt at his side, pulling a radio out. "Foxtrot is down, he's unresponsive. I need EMTs."

"Do you have a twenty on the shooter?" the voice called even as Steve noticed the shooter though the window.

"Tell them I'm in pursuit." Steve smashed through his window and ran after the assassin, Steve chased him through an office building, smashing through the walls, when he finally caught up with him on the roof he threw his shield at the assassin, but he caught it with one swift move, then threw it back to Steve and then jumped down the building and disappeared. Steve ran to the rood=f edge but there was nothing to see.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry walked through the halls, hearing the shocked whispers. Fury was dead and had been shot in the Captains apartment. Harry had no doubt over who had orchestrated it. He knew he wouldn't be able to get Steve alone, but he had the updated flash drive to give him with everything Nimue had managed to find. All he had to do was to slip it to him and hope he'd find a time to read it.

He saw the elevator up ahead and glimpsed the shield, so he ran. "Hold the lift!" he called, and Steve did. Harry slid in and grinned. "Thanks. Lobby." He panted and leant against the glass. "You okay? Rumours are flying."

"Confirmed," the computer stated and began moving down.

"Yeah, I bet," Steve answered absently. They stopped at the next level and Rumlow stepped in with two other STRIKE agents.

"All STRIKE personal on site." Brock ordered them.

"Understood."

"Yes, sir."

"Forensics," Brock told the computer.

"Confirmed."

"Cap. Potter," he greeted them, glad that had been Potter's last mission with them. He was good, very good, but he wasn't one of them and he doubted the other male would willingly join Hydra.

"Rumlow," Steve answered, and Harry saluted lazily, glad to be off the team now. The elevator doors closed, and they started riding down.

"Evidence response found some fibres on the roof they want us to see. You want me to get the tac-team ready?"

"No, let's wait and see what it is first," Steve answered.

"Right," Brock agreed, and Steve noticed one of the agents touching his weapon suspiciously. The elevator stopped, and more SHIELD and STRIKE agents entered.

"What's the status so far?"

"Administrations level."

"Confirmed."

"Excuse me," The agent said after bumping Steve.

"Um...sorry about what happened with Fury. Messed up what happened to him," Brock commented, and Steve nodded.

"Thank you." Something felt off, he looked at the agents and noticed one was sweating. He glanced at Harry who looked at him and then the others, frowning. So, it looked like Harry didn't know what was going on either. The elevator stopped, and more agents entered.

"Records."

"Confirmed."

As the elevator doors closed Steve realised he'd been surrounded by agents. "Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?" he asked casually, and Harry straightened at his side, stance shifting to defend his left. It was good to know he had one person on his side. There was a moment's pause before suddenly one of the agents turned and used an electric rod to give Steve a shock, the others grabbed him and tried to strap his wrists with magnetic cuffs. Steve managed to knock some of them down, but one cuff remained, then Rumlow used his rod to give Steve a shock before being shoved back by a kick from Harry.

Sitwell sat in the control room watching them from a monitor. "Mobilize STRIKE units, 25th floor."

Steve managed to free himself from the magnetic cuff and knock all the agents down, he then turned to Rumlow who was struggling with Harry before tossing the smaller male down. "Woah, big guy. I just want you to know, Cap, this ain't personal," Rumlow then went to attack Steve with his electric rod but Harry kicked his legs out from under him and Steve slammed his head into the floor, knocking him out.

"Ouch," Harry grumbled as he got up, holding his ribs. "Being small sucks." That made Steve chuckle. "Who did you piss off?"

"It kind of feels personal," Steve told the unconscious body before looking back to Harry. He wanted to trust him, he had just fought beside him but there were a lot of coincidences around the young ex-soldier. "Pierce." Steve picked up his shield then opened the elevator doors to be faced by a team of STRIKE agents pointing their weapons at him.

"Drop the shield! Put your hands in the air!" Steve glanced at Harry who sighed and grabbed his hand, slipping him something.

"Read that ASAP, get clear of here fast," he ordered before launching himself at the other STRIKE members. "GO!" he yelled back at Steve who stared in shock before using his shield to break off the elevator wires which sent the elevator down until the emergency breaks kicked in. As he forced the doors open he saw more STRIKE agents approaching him, he closed the door and looked for a way out.

"Give it up, Rogers! Get that door open! You have nowhere to go!"

Steve broke through the glass in the elevator and plummeted down to finally hit the ground floor.

From his monitor Sitwell watched in shock as Steve got up and started running off. He looked at another screen to see three Agents down and Potter fighting furiously until he finally went down and was cuffed, quickly searched and his weapons removed before he was carried away. That could have gone a lot better, Potter was not the target, but he had to be contained or killed now for his interference. He was an excellent shooter, so he ordered containment, there were ways to deal with those reluctant to join them after all.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Coulson, May, Skye, and Fitz were all inside the lab again, Grant back in his room, confusing Skye. May was on one side of the lab while Fitz was on the absolute other end as far as he could get. Coulson still had his gun on May as Skye worked at her laptop. "What do you mean, "noise"?"

"I mean literally noise, across every S.H.I.E.L.D. communication channel." She played it for them and it almost sounded like the feedback you'd get sending a fax or even an old school dial up modem. "Some sort of blanket signal."

"Encoded data, maybe?" Fitz offered, and she nodded.

"I think so."

Coulson looked at May. "You want to fill us in? We root you out, a mole, suddenly our plane shuts down, our communications jammed. "

May spoke through gritted teeth. "I don't know what's happening. I wish I did. You have to believe me."

"No, I don't."

Suddenly through the static a voice could be heard. Once is gets through they recognised the voice. _"Do you read? Do you read 6-1-6?"_

"Where's that coming from?" Fitz leant in to look over Skye's shoulder.

Skye hit a few keys on her laptop. "Close. "

" _Enemy aircraft, on my tail. Over."_

"Garrett?" Coulson called, hesitant now that he knew the truth of his old friend.

" _Coulson, I'm under attack. Drones. Repeat, S.H.I.E.L.D. drones are on my ass. We're not getting along. Do you copy?_

"Copy. Garrett, what's happening? We've lost control of our aircraft."

" _Hell, if I know. Tell me you got guns on that thing. I'm coming to you," he warned._

Coulson looked down for a moment then up at May – he fired his gun. May let out a groan when the bullet hit her shoulder and sent her down to the ground. Skye and Fitz stared at him with large eyes but said nothing. "Fitz, can you manually wire the guns to weapons control, bypass our system?"

He continued to stare at May as he answered Coulson. "If I have cables long enough, yeah."

"Skye, decode the signal. We need to get ahead of this. I don't want any more surprises today," he ordered, and she bent over her laptop, getting to work as Fitz hurried to find cables. He looked at May before heaving her up and carrying her to the holding cell. He didn't want to think May was Hydra, but he couldn't take the chance, just like he couldn't let Garrett suspect he was on to him. He headed up and knocked, the door opening to reveal Ward. "Clean up, Garrett's on the way. Don't make me regret trusting you."

"I won't, Sir," Grant swore, moving to change and wash up a bit.

 _TBC…_


End file.
